UEFA president Michel Platini has warned that the governing body are going to
'fight very seriously' to restrict entry into the Champions League and UEFA
Cup by clubs that are in debt.
Platini again expressed his concern at the amount of rising debt even the top
clubs are getting into.
The two-time World Player of the year claimed that in future UEFA would come
down hard on clubs that owed hefty sums - a decision that could have seen
European champions Manchester United and final opponents Chelsea banned from
the Champions League last season.
Platini spoke about the issue earlier this month and said 'it is the ones who
cheat who win'.
And he added today: 'UEFA are going to fight very seriously to restrict entry
to its competitions from clubs that are in debt.
'I'm not only talking about English teams such as Chelsea or Manchester
United, who reached the Champions League final with a huge debt, I'm talking in
general.
'It's a problem that grabs my heart. Four or five years from now we have to
have sorted the situation out, with co-operation from clubs and national
associations.'
Platini today also slammed his organisation's decision to allow Porto back into
the Champions League.
Porto, who won the competition in 2004 under Jose Mourinho, were banned from
next season's tournament after they were found guilty of trying to bribe
domestic referees during the 2003/04 campaign.
However, the Portuguese champions' ban from the competition was later
overturned by UEFA's appeals body pending a new hearing, something which Platini
believed should never have happened.
'As UEFA president I'm not happy at all with their inclusion in the Champions
League,' he said. 'And I clearly state that.
'UEFA, under my mandate, will fight to the death against corruption.
'It might be their right, but I don't think that it is the spirit.
'If a team has been punished by their federation, who are under UEFA, for
corruption then they should not be able to compete in a European competition.'
