Earthquake in the Premier League! » The clubs adopted the salary cap, the players' representatives threaten the court

The salary cap cap means clubs can only spend 85% of their revenue on agent wages and commissions, while the SSR (Sustainability and Resilience System) measures clubs' ability to meet their short- and long-term financial commitments.

“The new salary cap aims to promote equal opportunities for clubs aspiring to success and bring the Premier League's financial system closer to UEFA's existing salary cap which is operating at 70%,” the Premier League said in a statement.

Only 7 clubs out of 20 were in favor of a “spending cap”.

In contrast, the TBA (spending ceiling) did not receive enough support to pass. It received 7 yes votes out of 20 and needed 14 to pass. It stipulates that clubs can only spend on their kits five times the amount earned by the bottom-placed team in TV rights and prize money.

Based on the 2023-24 season, the latest for which exact figures are available, this would mean clubs can spend just £550m (€630m).

If the clubs have “fixed”, the players are angry because of the introduction of the salary cap. Several entities have already raised their voices to threaten lawsuits if the new measure is implemented.

Maheta Molango, president of the Professional Footballers' Union: “You can't limit someone's ability to earn a living”

The Professional Footballers' Union (PFA) confirmed a few days ago that it will take the proposal to court if the Premier League does not take players' views into account when limiting their earning potential.

“We tend in football to think we are above the law, but football is not in that position anymore the reality is that you can't limit someone's ability to make a living”, said Maheta Molango, PFA president.

“The league knows that some clubs will take this measure to court, and in this situation, the only winners are the lawyers. There are ways to reach agreements on financial sustainability, but this cannot be imposed unilaterally. This has to be negotiated with the right people and there are certain mechanisms that have to be followed,” he added.

Law firms threaten lawsuits

Elsewhere, three of the UK's biggest law firms, CAA Base, Stellar and Wasserman, have approached the UK Prime Minister's legal department to signal that they were not consulted on the introduction of the pay cap.

According to the lawyers, implementing this new regulation would breach UK competition law and constitute “an abuse of power by the League“, as well as a “artificial limitation of spending capacity” of clubs and a “unlawful restraint of trade.” They intend to take legal action.