Chelsea and Aston Villa are reportedly set to face disciplinary action for breaching UEFA’s financial regulations, while Spanish giants Barcelona may be subject to even stricter penalties.
The two Premier League clubs are expected to receive fines from UEFA for initial violations. Chelsea allegedly exceeded the allowable financial losses last season, partly due to the exclusion of revenue from the sale of its women’s team in its financial reporting.
The women’s team was sold to affiliated company Blueco 22 Midco Limited for a record £200 million ($271.8 million), a transaction that sparked controversy. Under UEFA’s rules, unlike those of the Premier League, income from transactions with sister companies cannot be included in financial statements. In April, Chelsea acknowledged ongoing talks regarding factors that could influence its compliance submissions.
Aston Villa is also believed to have gone over UEFA’s permitted loss threshold, according to a report by The Times. UEFA allows clubs to report losses up to €200 million ($228.8 million) over a rolling three-year period. Certain expenses, such as those related to youth academies, women’s teams, and infrastructure, can be excluded. Villa was previously fined £52,000 ($70,600) for late filing of financial accounts—a blow that follows their narrow miss on Champions League qualification under manager Unai Emery.
Meanwhile, Barcelona appears to be facing even more severe consequences. In October, the club lost an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against a €500,000 ($571,340) fine for misrepresenting financial figures. CAS described the fine as relatively lenient and warned that repeat offenses could lead to harsher sanctions.
According to the ruling, if Barcelona commits a similar violation during the 2023–24 financial review, the club could be penalized more severely. Potential measures include restrictions on player registrations for the next Champions League season or a deduction of league points.
Despite their ongoing financial issues, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco remains optimistic, insisting they won’t be forced to sell key players during the summer transfer window.
“I knew it would be challenging because of the financial rules—not just due to finances themselves, but because Spain’s financial fair play regulations are stricter than those in the Premier League and other countries,” Deco told BBC Sport.
“It’s not just Barcelona; many clubs are affected. We’re more visible because of our size. We just have to adapt, continue improving the squad, and balance our academy talents from La Masia with experienced players.”