UEFA Slaps Financial Penalties on Chelsea, Barcelona and 10 Other Top Clubs for Rule Violations

Chelsea and Barcelona are part of a dozen clubs that have been penalized with financial sanctions for violating UEFA's monetary regulations.

These two major European football powerhouses have experienced contrasting financial situations in recent times. Chelsea has invested massive amounts in player acquisitions during the three-year period following their current ownership's takeover, whereas Barcelona, despite maintaining substantial revenue streams, faces well-documented challenges with high expenditures and difficulties complying with La Liga's financial requirements.

Following UEFA's examination of European clubs' finances for the periods concluding in 2023 and 2024, Chelsea, Barcelona, Aston Villa, Porto, Lyon, and Hajduk Split have been found in violation of football earnings regulations.

Among these sanctioned clubs, all except Porto have reached settlement agreements with UEFA, which include obligatory financial penalties and conditional punishments tied to their future spending patterns.

UEFA has additionally imposed limitations on squad registrations for participants in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League competitions.

Additionally, both Chelsea and Aston Villa were determined to have violated UEFA's squad expenditure regulation, which limits clubs to allocating no more than 80% of their income toward transfers and related expenses.

These violations result in immediate fines proportional to each transgression's severity, with clubs being notified that the squad cost percentage will decrease to 70% beginning in 2025.

Most importantly, these penalties serve as alternatives to possible exclusions from European tournaments. Consequently, Chelsea and Barcelona will maintain their eligibility to participate in next season's Champions League, while Aston Villa will also proceed with their Europa League campaign.