UEFA Slaps Heavy Fines on Chelsea and Barcelona - Here's What They Did Wrong
Numerous observers will debate whether soccer's regulatory authorities are taking sufficient action to address the growing financial disparities that have determined triumph in modern football.
Those in power simply desire more. More of everything. Additional matches translate to increased revenue, with the notion of 'player fatigue' becoming insignificant in pursuit of enhanced profits.
The restructured Club World Cup has certainly achieved success in certain aspects, but skeptics will wonder if Gianni Infantino's ambition to expand the sport globally will actually create greater imbalances worldwide, with European soccer already at risk of becoming an exclusive circle.
The requirement for better financial oversight is clear, but regulatory mechanisms exist. The Premier League, for instance, implements profit and sustainability regulations (PSR), while UEFA maintains various Financial Fair Play guidelines that member clubs must follow.
Several of Europe's major teams have found themselves in difficulty. The Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) has declared that 12 clubs have been penalized for violating UEFA's financial regulations, including two Premier League teams. Here's the reasoning behind these club sanctions.
Why Have UEFA Fined Some of Europe's Biggest Clubs?
The big-spending Chelsea have received the heaviest penalty from UEFA's sanctions, with the Blues required to pay €31 million ($36.5 million)—a record amount for a European club penalized in one season. Nevertheless, this penalty could increase to €91 million ($107.2 million) if they fail to achieve the required financial objectives within the next four years.
Although the Premier League approved Chelsea's sale of the Millennium and Copthorne hotels (situated near Stamford Bridge) from one subsidiary of Chelsea's parent company to another subsidiary in June 2023, ensuring PSR compliance, this questionable transaction violated UEFA's financial oversight regulations. This cost them €20 million ($23.6 million).
They've additionally been penalized €11 million ($12.9 million) for violating squad expenditure regulations. UEFA requires that clubs spend no more than 80% of their income on transfers and player expenses, but Chelsea has surpassed this limit.
Aston Villa has similarly been sanctioned for this violation, though they've only received a €6 million fine, indicating that the Villans didn't exceed the limit to Chelsea's extent. Like the Blues, Villa must also achieve UEFA's financial requirements over the coming four years; failing to do so could result in a €26 million ($30.6 million) penalty.
The West Midlands club was also fined €5 million ($5.9 million) for breaching football revenue regulations.
Barcelona's financial troubles have been extensively reported throughout the past decade, with Joan Laporta utilizing numerous financial strategies to ensure the prestigious Catalonian institution remains viable and competitive in domestic and European competitions.
They achieved outstanding on-field results last season, but continue facing off-field management problems and an extremely high salary structure. Barça has been fined €15 million ($17.7 million) for recording excessive losses following UEFA's review of their 2024 financial records.
Lyon (€12.5 million, $14.7 million), Roma (€3 million, $3.5 million), Porto (€0.75 million, $0.88 million), Hajduk Split (€0.3 million, $0.4 million), Beşiktaş (€0.9 million, $1.1 million) and Panathinaikos (€0.4 million, $0.5 million) are among the additional penalized clubs.