Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has admitted that financial fair play (FFP) rules may have to change.
But the man at the head of European football’s governing body declined to comment on Manchester City ’s two-year ban, saying the appeal process has to be respected.
Ceferin said at Tuesday’s Uefa congress in Amsterdam that the body’s experts are examining ways of improving the controversial FFP rules.
City were handed a two-year ban from European competitions for “serious breaches” of those rules, but have since lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Critics of FFP claim that an idea which was intended to stop clubs getting into debt by spending beyond their means has been transformed into a means of preserving the traditional rich elite, and prevent clubs with wealthy owners – like City – from bettering themselves and challenging that elite.
Ceferin did not go into detail about the nature of any possible changes, but said: “It’s too early to say how it will look in the future but we are thinking about it and will probably have to adapt.
“It has been very successful as a system, there are almost no losses in European football any more and now we will probably have to adapt to different times.
“Our experts are in discussion but changes will not happen very soon, I assume.”
He was then quizzed about the City case, which was based on hacked emails published by the website Football Leaks, and in which the Blues vigorously deny any wrongdoing.
“I don’t know the case and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to (offer an opinion) even if I did know the case,” said Ceferin.
“I have not spoken with any of the (Club Financial Control Board) members before or after and didn’t see the case, before or after.
“As much as I’ve seen now, Manchester City have gone to CAS and let’s wait for the decision.”
