Arsene Wenger is hoping to see Financial Fair Play [FFP] rules relaxed as he believes it is hampering 'emerging clubs' from breaking into the elite.
The former Arsenal boss is now head of football development at FIFA after leaving the Gunners back in 2018 and has offered his views on the current rules in an exclusive interview with L'Équipe.
The Frenchman also believes 'bigger historical clubs' are pushing for the financial rules to be applied in a bid to restrict competition.
“I am in favour of measures that reinforce checks around club management, over measures that restrict and limit,” he told the French publication.
"We should value quality management and encourage it. And I am in favour of opening things up to more investment, which FFP does not allow for.
"The clubs that dominate Europe today are those that were built and made investments during an era where FFP did not exist.
“FFP prevents emerging clubs who want to invest from doing so. That is not normal.
“These rules have fixed a hierarchy, the big historical clubs are bigger and bigger and, obviously, they are all fighting for FFP rules to be scrupulously applied to the others so that competitors can’t come through.
"Controlling club management rigorously yes, verifying where funds are coming from, yes, but we need to encourage people to invest in football.
"FFP must become more flexible and facilitate investment.”
Leeds United have been bound by the Championship's Profitability and Sustainability rules in recent seasons. Their last set of accounts which came out last month saw the club post a record revenue for a Championship side not in receipt of parachute payments, but are unable to use this to their advantage when it comes to spending.
