Championship trio hit with embargoes

Championship trio hit with embargoes

Blackburn, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have been given transfer embargoes for failing to adhere to the Financial Fair Play regulations

The trio won’t be able to spend a transfer fee in the January transfer window and can only add players on loan and free transfers if they withdraw one from their 25 man selected squads.

A Football League statement said: “An initial analysis of Financial Fair Play submissions from the current 24 Championship clubs has indicated that three clubs – Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest – have failed to meet the Fair Play Requirement under the division’s Financial Fair Play rules.

“Consequently, all three will be subject to an ‘FFP embargo’ under Football League regulations from January 1, 2015 for the remainder of the current campaign.”

Rovers were first to react to the news. Managing director Derek Shaw said: “Whilst the ruling will clearly present some difficulties, we will of course respect the rules of the Football League.

“A lot of effort and hard work has been done to reduce player costs over the last two years, but we have wanted to rebuild and challenge in this division at the same time, and we will continue to do that.”

In addition to the statement, the promoted trio of Burnley, Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City will be investigated.

The statement confirmed: “It will also now consider submissions from the three clubs promoted to the Premier League and the three clubs relegated to League 1 at the end of the 2013/14 season.”