‘A bizarre concept’ - Brighton CEO fires Newcastle United dig while blasting FFP proposals

Brighton CEO Paul Barber has slammed suggestions the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules should be amended.

Financial Fair Play has been a hot topic within English football in recent weeks. Everton and Nottingham Forest were charged last week for breaching regulations and must fight their case to an independent commission.

The Toffees were found guilty of the same offence two months ago for the 2021-22 campaign and received the biggest points deduction in Premier League history. From a Newcastle United perspective, club chief Darren Eales admitted outgoings could be inevitable to create “headroom” for FFP/PSR restrictions.

The issue has created a debate among football fans about whether legislation should be relaxed. Reports have suggested the top flight could restructure their rule book this summer to align PSR with UEFA’s system, which focuses on wages-to-revenue rather than a £105million loss over a three-year period.

But Brighton supremo Barber - who oversees one of the most sustainable outfits in the country - has questioned why clubs should be encouraged to lose more money. He told talkSPORT.

“Only in football would we argue about wanting to lose more money,” he said. “That is just a bizarre concept and not one that any of us should sign up to. We should be looking at rules that limit our losses, make our clubs more sustainable, and ensure that we live within our means as best we can.

"It is wrong to be talking about wanting to lose more money, that is just not a sustainable proposition for any business and a football club should be no different in that concept. I think most owners would like to lose less money. We have got to find ways of making the entire pyramid more sustainable.

"We have got to make sure football clubs are part of their communities for generations to come. We know how important it is to people's lives and the only way we are going to stay relevant and important is if we stay afloat and we won’t stay afloat if we keep increasing and pushing each other to lose more money.”