The financial doping warnings of Arsene Wenger have returned after Manchester City were found guilty of 115 charges.
Wenger was one of the first English footballing superstars to openly attack clubs that were spending large amounts of money, with the intention of improving their sporting performances.
Referring to the West London club as “financially doped” because of the money at their disposal, Wenger – the former Arsenal boss – made the statement as Chelsea emerged as one of European football’s biggest teams.
“I think yes, because they (Chelsea) are a financially doped club,” he said then. “They have performance enhancement through financial means which are unlimited.”
Wenger then expanded his criticism to the Financial Fair Play rules, claiming clubs who try to subvert the rules on purpose should be sanctioned.
His remarks have resurfaced in the wake of Manchester City being found guilty of the vast majority of the charges levied against them. City deny any wrongdoing and are likely to appeal the decision.
The case has also prompted broader debates regarding competitive equity and the ability of financial regulation to control the game.
Wenger’s Arsenal won the 2003-04 Premier League title without losing a single game. However, they did it under a different financial blueprint compared to their richer competitors.
As for City’s punishment, Wenger’s comments are still likely to be raised in the ongoing discussion about financial controls and equality in the sport.
