UEFA’S financial fair play regulations: a good example of best practice governance by a sporting body?

Abstract

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the body that governs European football. In 2010 it introduced its Financial Fair Play (FFP) Regulations with the main aim of bringing financial stability to European football. This article examines UEFA’s FFP Regulations from good governance and ‘best practice’ perspectives. It finds that the setting-up, implementation and monitoring of the FFP Regulations by UEFA generally adhere to ‘best practice’ principles. However, recent cases in the Court of Arbitration for Sport have revealed several areas where changes to the regulations would be appropriate. In 2021 UEFA made some changes to its Procedural rules governing its Club Financial Control Body, which address some of the outstanding issues but there are still a number of areas where changes would be beneficial as these would provide greater clarity and transparency to its operation and enforcement and thereby promote more timely and cost-effective regulation.