Villa boss Unai Emery has claimed "many clubs" have "inflated their budgets" in the wake of the bombshell 114 guilty charges against Manchester City.
Emery is the first Premier League boss to speak publicly in the wake of City being found to have breached regulations in all but one charge.
City confirmed their appeal on Friday and maintain their innocence and Emery, speaking to Spanish media, claimed clubs have inflated budgets.
"It's an issue that was already known," Emery said to Diario de Sevilla. "Because we all have our restrictions, we have to sell players to comply with financial fair play.
"We have to figure out how to draw up contracts with new people.
"Financial fair play seeks a financial balance so that what you generate is spent and there isn't inflation.
"Yes, many other clubs have inflated their budgets, and now it's coming to light, and naturally there's a decline."
Emery added City's fate should rightly be decided in court, but added some sympathy given the level of football under Pep Guardiola.
"That's something that the courts and those responsible will have to decide," he said. "I feel sorry because how that team played. With Guardiola, there were times when they were unmatched."
Villa were fined £19.4million in June by Uefa for a ‘significant’ breach of the squad cost ratio rules for 2025. Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle have been hit with similar punishments from the Euro body.