FC Barcelona fined €15m for breaching UEFA financial rules

FC Barcelona have been fined €15m for breaching UEFA financial rules. The penalty could rise to €60m if the club fails to comply with regulations over the next two years.

The First Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) announced on Friday a series of decisions involving clubs under monitoring in the 2024/25 season.

The CFCB First Chamber found that HNK Hajduk Split (CRO), Aston Villa FC (ENG), Chelsea FC (ENG), FC Barcelona (ESP), Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) and FC Porto (POR) did not comply with the football earnings rule which was assessed for the first time in the 2024/25 season.

The analysis covered the financial years ending in 2023 and 2024.

HNK Hajduk Split, Aston Villa FC, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais agreed to settlement agreements with the CFCB which cover either a two-year, three-year or a four-year period – two years in Barcelona's case.

In assessing the clubs' compliance with the football earnings rule, the CFCB placed particular attention on transactions involving the sale of tangible or intangible assets, the exchange of players (so called "swaps") and the transfers of players between related parties, UEFA explained in a statement.

Clubs were required to perform adjustments, as profits from such transactions cannot be recognised as relevant income according to UEFA financial sustainability regulations. 

Barcelona's agreed final target is to be fully compliant with the football earnings rule by the end of the settlement period, i.e. in the 2026/27 season.

All clubs further agreed to be subject to a restriction on the registration of new players on their List A for UEFA club competitions.

In Barcelona's case, the club may not register any new player on its List A to UEFA club competitions unless the List A transfer balance is positive.

The List A transfer balance is defined as the difference between the cost savings from outgoing players and the new costs from incoming players, at any applicable deadline for the club's submission of its List A.

It conditionally applies in the 2026/27 season, if the club has a Football Earnings deficit in the reporting period 2025; and it conditionally applies in the 2027/28 season if the club exceeds the Final Target by less than €20 million.

FC Barcleona has also committed to the following targets:

In the 2025/26 season, the club will have a maximum Football Earnings deficit of €5 million for the reporting period ending in 2026.

In the 2026/27 season, the club will comply with the stability requirements (i.e., the Football Earnings rule), having an aggregate Football Earnings surplus, or an aggregate Football Earnings deficit within the acceptable deviation with regard to the reporting periods ending in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The 2025 Target can be increased up to a maximum of €60 million if such an increase is entirely covered by either contribution or equity in the reporting period ending in 2025.

In total, the CFCB First Chamber imposed disciplinary measures against 12 clubs in breach of financial sustainability requirements.

Barça's position

Sources at FC Barcelona confirmed to the Catalan sports daily Sport that since the case was opened, UEFA has been monitoring the club’s financial performance, and has given a positive assessment of Barça’s progress toward financial stabilization.

Despite the financial improvements, the sanction was unavoidable, as it is based on objective criteria.

Barça is still recording losses because UEFA does not allow certain revenues to be counted – for example, funds obtained through the advance sale of television rights.

The Catalan club is currently pushing for unified accounting standards across domestic and European competitions. Barcelona argues it is inconsistent that certain revenues are accepted under La Liga regulations but not by UEFA.