Arsene Wenger: FFP regulations are unclear

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits even he has been left perplexed by Financial Fair Play regulations despite holding a degree in economics.

Big-spenders Manchester City and Paris St Germain were both given heavy fines by UEFA last year after investing huge sums of money on players in recent seasons.

Despite being ordered to pay £49m by European football’s governing body, City made the biggest outlay by any English side in the January Transfer Window, signing £28m Wilifred Bony from Swansea.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side were also forced to reduce their Champions League squad from 25 players to 21, resulting in Stefan Jovetic becoming unavailable for European competition.

Wenger has always supported moves to regulate spending in football but the Frenchman, who studied Politics and Economics at the University of Strasbourg, is confused by what UEFA have set out.

"It depends what you call Financial Fair Play as that notion has changed," said Wenger.

"Is it just your income created by the gates? Is it the gates and commercial? Is it only the gates and the television? Is it naming rights as well?

"It is not clear to people what Financial Fair Play means, the rules are very complicated.

"We are a popular sport, so you want to clear and simple rules for everybody to understand. If I ask 10 people in the street today (what it means) and then if you ask me, and I am in the job, I don't have a clear idea anymore of what it means."

Arsenal continue to move forwards from a solid financial base which is built around the revenue generated from their 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium rather than the deep pockets of American owner Stan Kroenke.

Wenger said: "The Financial Fair Play rules have to be respected by everybody and if one club respected always the Financial Fair Play, and you can underline always, it is Arsenal, then we do not have to talk about that."