UEFA has expressed “serious concerns” over the Premier League’s new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR), warning it could destabilize European football and lead to an “extraordinary concentration of talent” in England.
The dispute centers on a widening gap in spending limits.
The new Premier League rules allow clubs to spend 85% of their revenue on squad costs, with a “rolling allowance” that can push spending as high as 115% before points deductions kick in.
For UEFA, all clubs in European competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League) are capped at a stricter 70%.
UEFA’s director of financial sustainability, Andrea Traverso, noted that English clubs already generate 25% of all European club revenue.
He warns that giving mid-table English teams higher spending power than traditional European giants (like AC Milan or Juventus) will force continental clubs to take “additional risks” and face higher losses to retain players.
“The objective at UEFA is financial sustainability. The objective at the Premier League is competitiveness,” Traverso said, highlighting that 40% of top-value players are already at English clubs.
Premier League CEO Richard Masters dismissed the claims, stating the rules prioritize “jeopardy” and allow non-European clubs the “headroom” to compete for qualification.
While the Bundesliga and Serie A are moving toward UEFA’s 70% alignment, the Premier League remains an outlier, insisting on its right to set its own financial path.
