Source: PA
UEFA's financial rules must be fairly applied - Ayre
Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre fears UEFA's new financial fair play rules will be "killed" if they are not applied equally across Europe.
Ayre, who also confirmed that Liverpool are actively pursuing naming rights for a new stadium, is concerned there will not be a level playing field when the new rules come into force in 2014. UEFA's rules will ban clubs from playing in European competition if they spend more than they earn, but the rules will initially be enforced by individual national associations and leagues.
Ayre told the Soccerex conference in Manchester that Liverpool's recent takeover had cleared most of their debt so the club would comply with the regulations. But he said: "These rules should be rules and should be hard and fast.
"What will kill the initiative or certainly stifle it is people easing themselves into it rather than the rules applying and everyone operating within them. The rules should be clearly defined, you cannot have a half-rule process.
"We see it as a positive step but the reservations around it are the proof of the pudding being in the application, how it will be applied - will people be given grace periods, will the sanctions be applied? The question is will it be as fairly applied?
"If the Premier League takes a very serious and professional view and does it properly does it put itself at a disadvantage? If it is not managed well and delivered well we would all question the outcome of it."
