A Comprehensive Look at Financial Fair Play: A Review of The International Literature
Chapter from the book:
Uluç,
E.
A.
&
Karademir,
M.
B.
&
Uluç,
S.
(eds.)
2025.
Sports Sciences Research 3.
Synopsis
The aim of this study is to examine and demonstrate how Financial Fair Play (FFP) has transformed the financial management of various football clubs in terms of financial sustainability, legal implications, its impact on financial balance, and its relationship with digitalization. In addition, the effects of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations on football clubs were analyzed in light of the existing findings in the literature. As research criteria, only peer-reviewed journal articles and academically reliable sources were included. Both international and national studies were reviewed, focusing on the compliance of Turkish football with FFP and the effects of UEFA’s regulations on clubs, with an emphasis on recent publications, particularly those published after 2016. The main keywords used were “Financial Fair Play,” “Turkish football and financial regulations,” “TFF and UEFA compliance,” “sporting success and financial sustainability,” “UEFA rules,” “financial sustainability in football,” and “competitive balance in European football.” The findings indicate that while FFP has emerged as a strong instrument to ensure the financial sustainability of clubs, the existing literature also highlights that these regulations have led to certain competitive inequalities. Studies examining the financial structures of European clubs show that FFP provides major clubs with opportunities to consolidate their financial power. Smaller clubs, on the other hand, struggle to comply with these regulations, which consequently widens the economic gap in favor of larger clubs. Moreover, FFP does not have a direct effect on sporting success, but it may influence it indirectly in the long term by promoting financial stability among clubs.
