Manchester City will conquer “impossible” UEFA in their appeal against the club’s European ban for breaching”crap” Financial Fair Play rules, says Gary Neville.
UEFA announced on Friday that City was given a two-season suspension from European competition and a $30 million ($25m/$33m) good for violating FFP regulations.
The Premier League winners have confirmed they’ll appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Neville believes the two sides will be drawn into a protracted court dispute, but that City will be prosperous ultimately.
“I think City will conquer UEFA, I have no faith in UEFA at all,” Neville told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“They’re a hopeless organization who only apply erratic disciplinary sanctions for various things.
“I think it will get stuck in the courts for a while, but City will triumph in the long run.”
Neville agrees that there should be controls in place to prevent irresponsible owners putting nightclubs’ futures risk but feels the present FFP regulations do not attain that aim.
Instead, they function as a barrier for clubs seeking to break into the game’s elite through proprietor investment.
“I have always felt FFP is the wrong way to apply the fiscal principles,” added the former Manchester United defender. “FFP was brought in to prevent clubs going bust, but there are various methods of achieving that.
“In other kinds of business there are bank guarantees, bonds or proprietor pledges. If owners sign up to contracts then they should have enough money in place in order to fulfill those contracts. I think Man City’s owners have that.
“There ought to be a fit and proper owners’ evaluation and coverage of obligation, two things which should absolutely happen in each football club. FFP is crap as far as I am concerned.
“We’re essentially saying that we are able to create a status quo in Europe, like a franchise. I believe a whole lot of the greatest clubs in Europe would take soccer towards a franchise-type version if we did not have owners who would be prepared to invest in different clubs.
“There are horror stories of owners residing in nightclubs and not following through with their responsibilities, that has got to be stopped. But there are other methods of stopping that without using FFP.
“To imply that Man City could catch Man Utd through sustainable, organic growth is complete nonsense. The only way they could get to a level playing area is by way of owner investment.”
