Fans of European clubs "will soon be given details of how much their teams are spending" on players' wages and fees to agents under changes to UEFA’s control system, according to Simon Evans of REUTERS. UEFA’s Exec Committee on Thursday passed changes to the Financial Fair Play rules after what it called a "complete and comprehensive review" of the system. Making public a club’s finances "will become part of the process" of clubs receiving their licenses. UEFA hopes this will "increase transparency about the game’s finances." Some clubs "are already obliged by stock market rules or national league requirements to publish their financial details," but the change of rules by UEFA will force many clubs to "go public for the first time." UEFA Head of Club Licensing & FFP Andrea Traverso said that it "remained to be seen whether the move would lead to a reduction in payments." He said, "It is about enhancing transparency -- from next season clubs will have to publish their financial information including compensation and agents fees. Whether this will put some pressure on those ... we will have to see" (REUTERS, 5/24). Evans also reported UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said that he wants the European Union to revisit its rules on free movement of labor and "the issue of whether football -- and sport in general -- should be given an exemption." Ceferin said that free movement for players, "which rules out the chance for limits on imported talent, is contributing to the lack of balance in European football." He asked, "There are some things that we said should be done or at least discussed. For example, the free movement of the workforce -- is it the time to say that not just footballers but athletes are an exemption? They should think about it because it harms the competitive balance" (REUTERS, 5/24).
