Platini calls for salary cap

Uefa chief wary of financial problems

Last updated: 9th October 2008

Platini calls for salary cap

Platini: Fan of salary cap

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Uefa president Michel Platini believes a salary cap needs to be introduced into football for the good of the game.

The topic of football finances has been debated in recent days with Football Association chairman Lord Triesman claiming English clubs currently owe an estimated £3billion in debt.

Triesman is pushing the idea of a salary cap to try and safeguard the futures of a number of clubs with the fear that the current economic crisis could see some teams go to the wall.

Platini has added his voice to the debate and believes a salary cap is a necessity to safeguard the game.

However, the Frenchman insists a maximum level on wages will not happen for some time.

"We have to speak about the number of contracts in the clubs, we can speak about salary but I am not an expert, I am an expert of football of the game," Platini told Sky Sports News.

Necessary

"The rest we have to learn. We have to go slowly and to look at what we can do, but it is necessary for the good of football."

League Managers' Association chief executive, Richard Bevan believes a salary cap in football is not the answer to the financial problems.

Some other sports have successfully implemented a salary cap, but Bevan says it will not work in football.

"Too many people feel that salary caps is really actually about wage caps and that is actually illegal in Europe," said Bevan.

"Rugby League and Rugby Union are two exceptions because they were in financial difficulties and people were keen to move into salary caps, but that is not the answer.

Comments (12)

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Mark Finegan (Manchester United fan) says...

expensive lawyers will find a way around it. It sounds great but rugby league has found out how to beat it.

Posted 16:55 9th October 2008

Richard Davies (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I am fully supportive of a salary cap in football, however I feel Platini should stop being jealous and concentrate on other matters, maybe like referees, He has had his time and earned his money. No footballer no matter who he is is worth more than £10,000 per month. Wages are obscene. People say football is a short career, it is still no excuse to pay these salaries.

Posted 16:38 9th October 2008

Tony Chima (Arsenal fan) says...

salary cap will allow top players stay at favoured club and not move for the money thus increasing competition on the pitch and it will also allow clubs look within for players thus bringing development and growth to the game and balances club finance (ask Wenger).

Posted 16:09 9th October 2008

Aadil = Khota (Chelsea fan) says...

A player should be paid a salary based on his monthly performance by the club. players performing badly and still being paid a high salary is simply spoilt and knows that all he has to do is show his face on a match day and he would earn

Posted 09:16 9th October 2008

Primo Lombardi (Liverpool fan) says...

The idea of a salary cap has merit, I see it working well in the a-league and MLS leagues. As there are different teams winning those competitions (NO BIG 4!) Although, I would first introduce a transfer spend salary cap based on the proportion of tv rights for the respective league. For example each prem league club can spend up to 30 million per season. This would begin the process of equality across the league. Then roll in to a player wage salary cap if necessary in a few years.

Posted 08:52 9th October 2008

Kevin Young (Weston-S-Mare fan) says...

i hope they all go skint,where can can people of such mediocre talent get so much riches,go skint they have only themselves to blame,what will they do without sky's money

Posted 08:49 9th October 2008

Stephen Marwood (Middlesbrough fan) says...

I don't like Platini, but if he is also calling for a wage cap as well as Blatter they are obviously trying to run the game as good as possible, the same can not be said for the English F.A, I say a top wage cap of £500,000 per-club per-week is more than enough, if a club as 22 senior players then that is an average of £22,000 a week with maybe top players like Ronaldo earning potentialy £30,000 per week.

Posted 08:45 9th October 2008

Chris Evans (Liverpool fan) says...

Quite possibly the only good thing this guy has ever said. He's normally so unprofessional, especially in his bashing of the English, let alone that of his fellow countryman, Wenger, who is without doubt, the most highly regraded and respected foreign coach we've ever had. Wouldn't surprise me if he stuck his oar in and started blaming debt-ridden clubs for the credit crunch either!!! :oD

Posted 08:45 9th October 2008

Robert Mundy (Gillingham fan) says...

It's about time this came into effect. Most Premier League players are on £30k+ a week, No one person is worth that kind of wage per week. Most people in this country struggle to get £30k a year

Posted 08:44 9th October 2008

John gerrard Ford (Everton fan) says...

Michel Platini is trying any way to stop english clubs winning the Champions League and he thinks could be the answer. He does like English clubs and does like a strong English Premiership!

Posted 08:42 9th October 2008

Shane Benton (Leeds United fan) says...

I think it is a must... Salary caps should be thought about and looked into as the wages in football is ridiculous. The state of the financial world at the minute is a mess and when footballers are getting paid extreme amounts of money weekly, it defies everything. Also it is so unfair on the clubs that don't have an endless supply of money, not all teams have the joys of a multi-billionaire owner and why is it fair for these teams to not be able to even begin to approach big players because they cannot compete with the wages that the 'rich' clubs can pay. It is ruining the game, football is now more about money than it is about talent and passion. A player may have so much passion for one team and want to play for them but 99 times out of 100 he will go to the team that will pay the highest wages, look at Ashley Cole, i know we can't really use him as too much of an example as he doesn't really know what he's doing full stop. Anyway i'm all for the salary cap and have been for a while now, i think it will work wonders for the game and make it a more competitive sport and a more fair sport with less reliance on money....

Posted 08:31 9th October 2008

Craig Moran (Liverpool fan) says...

I think a salary cap is a good idea but if it is brought it then it needs to be enforced across the whole of football not just in england. They talk about the amount of debt in the game that's always been the case. I notice how they glide over things like when Real Madrid were £300m in debt that the city council paid the debt of for them.

Posted 08:27 9th October 2008
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