FFP: UEFA "fully confessing that the previous version was illegal" (lawyers Dupont and Hissel)

"UEFA says that with these amendments, FFP is evolving from a 'period of austerity to a sustainable growth period.' In more direct terms, UEFA is simply moving from an entirely illegal rule to a rule that becomes a little bit less illegal. Indeed, in competition law, any excessive restriction of the freedom of enterprise is by definition illegal. With these amendments yesterday, UEFA is therefore fully confessing that the previous version of the rule was excessive and therefore illegal under competition law," stated Jean-Louis Dupont and Martin Hissel in a joint statement on 30/06/2015.

The two Belgian lawyers give their reaction to new Financial Fair Play regulations for the 2015-2018 period, adopted by the UEFA Executive Committee during its meeting in Prague (CZE) on 29 and 30/06/2015. Among easing measures decided by UEFA, which come into force on 01/07/2015, is the possibility of exceeding the deficit ceiling of €30m per year from 2015-16 as part of a four-year plan based on a "serious prediction of revenue increase".

"Before the judges, UEFA nevertheless argued during 2 years…