But what are those FFP regulations that have been holding the club back for so long? The first thing to make clear is that the Premier League FFP rules are not the same as the UEFA FFP rules. The ultimate sanction under the UEFA scheme is to ban a club from European competition, and since Sunderland are not in any danger of qualifying for the Champions League or Europa League any time soon, that would be a non-issue. But break the Premier League FFP rules, and a club runs the risk of a points deduction.