Towards a Convergence of the Regulation Systems in French and European Professional Football? When Financial Viability Replaces the UEFA's Financial Fair Play

This article analyzes how financial regulation systems in professional football set up by the National Directorate of Management Control in France and in Europe by the UEFA are changing. These systems, historically different in how they regulate activity, have recently been overhauled. In 2022, the replacement of Financial Fair Play by a UEFA financial viability system seems to align European regulation more closely with the French system. By analyzing the changes in the two sets of regulations, we show how both bodies are converging towards setting up flexible budget requirements for clubs playing in the European and French leagues, while aiming to ensure the clubs are financially viable. In addition, for the first time, these regulations explicitly introduce total team salary cap requirements similar to the North American leagues. The simulation of the impact of this rule in the 2021-2022 season for a group of French clubs shows that differences persist.