What if: FFP never came?

Financial Fair Play (FFP) is a rule created by the European football governing body (Uefa) to keep clubs from not spending more than they earn. 

The plan was devised in 2009 but it started getting implemented across Europe from 2015 to mixed results and reviews from fans and clubs. 

One of the key elements of FFP was to allow smaller clubs with less financial firepower to compete with the richer clubs but that hasn't exactly happened.

The traditionally big clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich are ones that are dominating their leagues and getting more money to spend as a result. 

The smaller clubs are still finding it difficult to move up the ladder due to restrictions in spending, even if they are bought by rich owners interested to invest, like Chelsea and Manchester City had done with the new owners.  

So what if FFP never came? How would the footballing landscape look then? 

A more inflated market

If you think Neymar being bought by PSG for 222 million Euros was over-the-top spending, you'd be surprised to see those records being broken. 

If the Newcastle takeover by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia goes through, they would be able to buy Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for much higher prices. 

Money would not be an issue for rich owners. 

That would mean the current prices of players, which already feel inflated (over 80 million for a player like Kepa) would be even higher. 

Clubs with rich owners gain more power

Clubs like Leicester, Everton, Wolves and potentially Newcastle all have owners that are some of the richest in the world. 

For them, spending the amounts that the likes of PSG or a Manchester City do would not be a problem, but they are tied down because of FFP rules and regulations. 

That could potentially lead to a more competitive league and further increase the allure of the Premier League. 

It would essentially give the smaller clubs a bigger chance at becoming European powerhouses.

The romanticism of football would further die

Football has already become a game of money where the big spending clubs are the ones dominating their respective leagues in Europe. 

The most traditionally rich club, Real Madrid, has been the one dominating the Champions League for instance.

But there is still time for that one underdog story where a Leicester or a Monaco end up winning the league.

With fewer resources and money they might never have gotten a chance if not for FFP and the traditionally big and rich clubs going through transition. 

One may even argue that the success of Liverpool and Tottenham in recent times because of astute buying and proper use of sports science would not have been possible without FFP. 

And the days of players staying loyal to their clubs is already a thing of the past.