Monte Carlo: UEFA President Michel Platini made it clear on Friday there will be no going back on financial fair play rules that require European teams to only spend what they earn. The break-even rule comes into effect from the 2014-15 season and it is already having an influence, with transfer activity down across Europe.
"We will never go back on financial fair play, it was decided unanimously by the clubs, it is a revolution in European football and we will do it," Platini told a news conference.
"We gave them time, three - four years to put everything in place. Now we're going to start working."
UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino revealed there was a 36 percent decrease in spending last January, compared to January 2011.
The total transfer spent this year — excluding the deals on Thursday and Friday — is 78 per cent less than the 2008-2011 average.
"The trend is starting to turn, there is a significant slowdown in transfer activity," Infantino said. "The new Club Financial Control Body monitoring this activity reports that the new Financial Fair Play Rules are having a clear and positive affect already.
"The financial losses are stabilized but still at dangerous levels."
Meanwhile, Platini took a swipe at FIFA president Sepp Blatter, criticizing his autocratic style after FIFA gave the green light to goal-line technology.
"When you talk about technology, FIFA didn't decide on goal-line technology, President Blatter did," Platini said. "No one in the executive committee was consulted, nor was anyone in any other FIFA committees invited to give their views.
"It was just the FIFA president along with IFAB (the body that determines the laws of the game). He's in charge and it's up to him.
FIFA has four of the eight IFAB votes to use as he wants and the four British associations have one vote each. Proposals need a majority of six to become law.
"I think the four votes for the British are okay, it's the four votes for FIFA I don't understand," Platini said. "The president has the four votes and he decides what he wants, he never speaks about the IFAB in the executive committee. The four votes of Blatter are not correct.
"If the executive committee or the Congress had decided on the technology I will accept more because it's a democratic decision. Blatter never discussed it with the executive committee. He has four votes and he decides."
Platini has never made a secret of the fact he is firmly against goal-line technology. He favors using additional assistant referees which UEFA has approved for all its competitions from this year following extensive tests.
"No-one's ever seen goal-line technology, while you all know the five-referee system," Platini added. "I've always been opposed to technology, I'm not going to change my mind at the age of 57."
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