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Clubs call on UEFA to close financial fair play loophole

European clubs will demand that UEFA closes a loophole that allows some clubs to qualify for the Champions League without submitting accounts to comply with financial fair play (FFP) rules.

The move comes amid concern that clubs such as Liverpool, Monaco and Roma did not have to submit accounts to UEFA last season because they were not involved in European competition.

Senior figures in the European Clubs' Association (ECA) believe that gives those clubs an advantage in terms of qualifying for the lucrative tournament because they are not subject to the same spending constraints.

Liverpool, Roma and Monaco all qualified for the Champions League, and it is only this season that they have had to submit accounts.

Two weeks ago, UEFA announced that they were among seven clubs being investigated for possible FFP breaches.

European football's governing body said the clubs had "disclosed a break-even deficit on the basis of their financial reporting periods ending in 2012 and 2013."

The issue will be brought up when UEFA holds a meeting with clubs on Monday to discuss any changes to the FFP rules.

#INSERT type:image caption:Clubs have voiced concerns that teams not in last season's Champions League did not have to submit accounts. END#

One European club executive told Press Association Sport: "It makes no sense that clubs can qualify for the Champions League without having had to submit their accounts -- it can even encourage them to overspend in order to qualify.

"We are meeting UEFA next week and we will push them to close this loophole."

Manchester City and Paris St Germain were the clubs punished most severely by UEFA last season for FFP rule-breaches -- both were fined 49 million pounds -- and they are among those invited to the meeting in Nyon, Switzerland.

The meeting is also expected to examine whether large debts carried by clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid should also be tackled more strongly by FFP rules. Currently, only the interest on those debts is viewed as part of the FFP calculation.