Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says European clubs should ‘help certain teams such as Inter and Milan’.
The former striker, who played for the Nerazzurri, is also head of the European Club Association, and believes that Financial Fair Play is having a negative effect on some clubs.
“It’s a pity not just for the clubs [Milan and Inter] but also for Italian and European football,” Rummenigge lamented in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says European clubs should ‘help certain teams such as Inter and Milan’.
The former striker, who played for the Nerazzurri, is also head of the European Club Association, and believes that Financial Fair Play is having a negative effect on some clubs.
“It’s a pity not just for the clubs [Milan and Inter] but also for Italian and European football,” Rummenigge lamented in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Teams like Milan and Inter are big names which are used to the competition [the Champions League].
“However, complaining does not help. I saw [Inter director] Marco Fassone yesterday, and I immediately thought: ‘five years ago Inter won the Champions League’.
“Football can be strange sometimes, but in the last five years something has gone wrong.
“We need to have a clear plan, with all financial options available, yet without going against Financial Fair Play.
“We must remember that Inter are under investigation for not respecting those rules. Also, we, as the Club Association, must think about how we can help certain teams like Inter and Milan with Financial Fair Play, because it damages them.
“If you have a hole, you can’t plug it without any fresh money. I’ve read that Milan could be sold, but the new owner couldn’t put in too much money without going against UEFA limitations.
“So, it’s up to us as big names to find a solution which won’t penalise them any more.
“There are clear, rigid laws but we must think about not hurting clubs too.
“Almost all clubs from Eastern Europe suffer because they don’t have a lot of revenue from television, sponsors and merchandising.
“So we need to look at how we can lend a hand to those clubs, but also some big clubs in Western Europe who now find themselves in trouble.”
Bayern have done business with Inter in recent months, with Xherdan Shaqiri moving from Bavaria to Lombardy, and Rummenigge reveals he was instrumental in the deal.
“Shaqiri needed to play, I advised him to go to Inter even though a lot of British clubs wanted him. With Inter’s difficulties, he was exactly the right buy, he has quality, he’s young and he can make a difference.
“He’ll become even more consistent with time, because he has to feel good, to feel at home. We could have earned more money and sold him to England, but we’ve given them a discount.”