Borussia Dortmund chief executive
Hans-Joachim Watzke feels clubs like
Manchester City should be 'expelled'
by UEFA.
As the reigning Bundesliga champions
continue to work to a strict budget and
are 51 per cent owned by the club's
supporters, a number of their
continental rivals are taking advantage
of what Watzke considers to be 'back-
door funding'.
Manchester City, who Dortmund face
in the UEFA Champions League on
Wednesday, are among those to have
benefited greatly from the arrival of a
wealthy owner with useful contacts.
The 2011/12 Premier League winners
have been able to sign a lucrative
£350million stadium and shirt
sponsorship deal with Etihad, a
company connected to their owners.
Watzke believes such deals are unfair,
in an era where financial fair play is
supposedly the way forward, and he
has called on the authorities to clamp
down on big-spending figureheads.
"UEFA must find the thin line between
sponsorship and excessive back-door
funding - they must show strength to
expel big clubs," he said.
"No tycoon should be allowed to
pump crazy money into a club with
sponsorship from five companies he
controls. If that happens, financial fair
play will fail.
"I would not even welcome him (City
owner Sheikh Mansour). What if the
sheikh, as shown by Malaga, lost
interest?"
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