"Many other clubs have inflated their budgets": Unai Emery reacts to the Manchester City affair

The accusations against Manchester City do not surprise Unai Emery. While the English club is being prosecuted for 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, the Aston Villa manager believes that the difficulties related to Financial Fair Play also affect other teams in the league.

Interviewed by Diario de Sevilla , the Spanish coach recalled the constraints faced by English clubs in order to remain compliant with financial regulations.

"This is a topic that was already known," Emery said. "We all have our restrictions. We have to sell players to comply with Financial Fair Play and figure out how to draft contracts for new signings."

For the Aston Villa manager, the principle of financial fair play is based above all on finding a balance between the expenses incurred by clubs and the revenues they generate.

"Financial fair play aims for a balance. Spending must correspond to revenue generated in order to avoid any inflation," he explained, before expanding on his point: "Many other clubs have inflated their budgets.

Now, this is coming to light and naturally leads to a decline.

Emery, however, refuses to take the place of the bodies responsible for deciding the Manchester City case. "It is up to the courts and the officials to decide," he reiterated.

The Spaniard also emphasized his admiration for the work done by Pep Guardiola and his team on the pitch, despite the accusations against the club. "I regret it because this team played very well. With Guardiola, there were times when they were unbeatable," the manager concluded.