La Liga files complaint to Uefa, alleging Manchester City and PSG breach FFP

La Liga has formally complained to Uefa regarding Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, claiming the English and French champions are in “continuous breach” of financial fair play rules.

The striking intervention on the part of the Spanish top flight and its president, Javier Tebas, continues a growing civil war within European football, which exists beyond the dividing lines created by the European Super League.

La Liga said it believed that money earned by the two “state clubs”, owned by entities related to the Gulf states of Abu Dhabi and Qatar respectively, “artificially inflate the market, with money not generated within football itself”.

“La Liga understands that the irregular financing of these clubs is carried out either through direct injections of money or through sponsorship and other contracts that do not correspond to market conditions and do not make economic sense,” the statement said.

It also revealed that La Liga has hired legal representation in Switzerland, home of Uefa, to pursue a case against PSG’s president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, for alleged conflicts of interest.

The row erupted when PSG beat Real Madrid to the signing of Kylian Mbappé this summer, renewing the contract of the France forward on a three-year deal. La Liga immediately complained to Uefa over this deal, claiming it was not possible under FFP rules, something PSG deny.

Neither City nor PSG would comment on the latest claims, but both clubs are known to deny wrongdoing and to hold a scornful opinion of La Liga and its own funding arrangements. Barcelona, whose president, Joan Laporta, on Tuesday called for stricter rules regarding state ownership of football clubs, recently reported a hole of €500m in its finances but completed a