Michel Platini blames 'liberal' Premier League for Portsmouth plight

Michel Platini last night blamed Portsmouth's current plight on the Premier League's "liberal" approach to financial control. The Uefa president said greater financial control from the Premier League would have prohibited Portsmouth from the lavish spending that has left them in administration and on the brink of liquidation. "I'm not in favour of the big liberalism of what has happened with the English clubs," Platini told the Times. "I'm not an expert of finance, but it was easy to understand that clubs like Portsmouth would be in big danger of going bankrupt and going down. We have to protect them. Why was this club winning [the FA Cup in 2008] with losses of £50m? "When I was younger, I remember seeing people with no money buy Ferraris — and then, because of the Ferrari, they would get the best girls! That's not correct, but it's what has happened in football: you don't have the money to buy the players, but you get the players and in the end you cheat and win the competition. That's not correct." Responding to Platini's comments, a spokesman for the Premier League said that tighter regulations, introduced at the start of this season, would help prevent a repeat of Portsmouth's current plight. "Had we been able to introduce our financial criteria a year earlier, that would have certainly helped ease the problems faced by Portsmouth. The new rules, which we believe will help clubs operate in a more sustainable manner, combined with further regulations to be introduced this summer, should prevent another club in the Premier League reaching the point where their very existence is threatened. "Having said that, regulation is not a cure-all. There are numerous examples of clubs in leagues deemed to be more heavily regulated than the Premier League that have got into difficulties." At present Platini cannot force the Premier League to change its policy but plans to introduce "Financial Fair Play" regulations for clubs involved in Uefa competitions by the start of the 2012-13 season. Under these regulations new club owners will be restricted to a maximum €45m (£40m) outlay on players over an initial three-year period, dropping to €30m in 2015.