UEFA: Roma fined, Inter and Milan given green light, Juve to face exam in 2026

During the first application of the new rules and in particular of the so-called "Football Earnings Rule", which in its entirety requires not to lose more than 60 million in three years, the UEFA accounting control body found breaches by six clubs: Hajduk Split, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Barcelona, ​​Olympique Lyonnais and Porto. The analysis covered the balance sheets of the fiscal years ended in 2023 and 2024. The UEFA accounting control body examined in particular transactions such as the sale of tangible or intangible assets, player exchanges ("swaps") and transfers between related parties, whose profits according to the new regulation on financial sustainability are not fully considered as a source of significant revenue.

Five of these clubs, except Porto, which was fined €5 million (€4.75 million suspended), agreed to settlement agreements lasting 2, 3 or 4 years and to pay substantial fines.

Chelsea have agreed to a four-year deal until the 2028/29 season with a total fine of €80 million if they fail to comply, but will pay €20 million immediately. Barcelona have a two-year deal (until the 2026/27 season), with a total fine of €60 million, with €15 million being paid immediately. Olympique Lyonnais will be under a settlement agreement until the 2028/29 season, with a suspended fine of €50 million, with €12.5 million being paid immediately. In addition, the French club have agreed to automatic exclusion from the 2025/26 competitions if the French DNCG confirms their relegation to Ligue 2. Aston Villa have agreed to a three-year deal (until the 2027/28 season), with a total fine of €20 million (€5 million unconditional). Finally, Hajduk Split will be under special observation until the 2027/28 season (1.2 million fine, 0.3 million paid immediately).

These clubs will be subject to restrictions on the registration of new players on List A, measures which may be conditional, unconditional or both, and which vary according to the duration of the agreement, and will have to meet intermediate annual targets, or face additional sanctions, which may include exclusion from competitions.

As for the rule on the cost of the squad, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Panathinaikos and Beşiktaş have exceeded the limit of 80% of revenues spent on wages, amortization and intermediation costs established as a transitional threshold for 2024, placing themselves between 80% and 90% and have received a fine proportional to the excess. Chelsea by 11 million, Aston Villa by 6 million, Beşiktaş by 0.9 million and Panathinaikos by 0.4 million.