Europe's elite clubs have formulated a proposal for tackling those in breach of Uefa's new financial fair play rules that would lead to transfer bans and Champions League and Europa League prize money being withheld.
Although a new regulatory framework has been introduced governing the permitted level of losses before tax and accounting charges, there is no policy for what sanctions will be applied to clubs in violation.
But at the European Club Association (ECA) congress on Tuesday, an outline for what the clubs perceive to be a workable programme of sanctions was agreed upon. The conclusion was for clubs who exceed the current permissible losses of €45m (£40m) over this season and next to be stripped of Champions League or Europa League prize money and subjected to a transfer embargo.
Internazionale's director general, Ernesto Paolillo, is a board member of the ECA and chaired a sub-group that discussed its response on financial fair play.
"We are all fully behind the financial fair play rules because we need to make some changes in European football," Paolillo said. "European clubs were in deficit by more than €1bn last season, so we need action.
"But we need to see the sanctions now because the rules have started, so that the clubs know the rules. We think that having a transfer ban and to have prize money from Uefa withheld are appropriate penalties for breaking financial rules."
It is not guaranteed that these rules will be adopted, since Uefa's financial control panel, chaired by the former prime minister of Belgium Jean-Luc Dehaene, has the final say over what punitive measures should be employed. It will be meeting over the coming weeks to finalise applicable sanctions and will give due weight to the clubs' own proposals.
Whether it will consider appropriate the withholding of prize money from clubs is perhaps questionable since an enforced reduction in income could contribute to a spiral of repetitive default. One other area under the panel's consideration is the value of sponsorships from related parties.
The financial fair play rules stipulate that these must be issued at fair market rates. Dehaene has stated that he has sought information about Manchester City's £300m-plus sponsorship deal with Etihad, the Abu Dhabi airline.