After allegedly breaching UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) regulations, Barcelona are reportedly optimistic that they will avoid severe sanctions.
The Catalans are under fire for potentially infringing FFP guidelines for a second time. Back in October, Barcelona were forced to pay a €500,000 ($570,000) fine for failing to comply with the financial regulations of the Champions League.
UEFA ruled that some of Barcelona’s reported sources of revenue, like the club’s €267 million ($303.7 million) deal for 10% of their broadcasting rights, are not accepted by UEFA. The club was warned of harsher punishments if it failed to comply with the regulations in the future.
Following the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, The Times reported Barcelona could be handed “unprecedented” Champions League sanctions for once again breaching FFP regulations. The defending Spanish champions could face restrictions on squad limits or even receive a points deduction in the competition next season.
Despite the threat looming over Barcelona, ESPN report the club expects only a “small financial penalty” should they be found guilty.
“We recently completed the financial audit process conducted by UEFA every two years,” a club source told ESPN. “The conclusions and possible consequences arising from this audit have not yet been notified to the club.
“The main discrepancy lies in the fact that UEFA does not consider some operations as ordinary income, the so-called [financial] levers, unlike the criteria of La Liga, which does consider them as ordinary operating income.”
Barcelona’s monetary woes have cast a dark shadow over the Spanish giants in recent years. To overcome its financial instability, the club has raised money through the aforementioned broadcast deal, selling off VIP seats at the Spotify Camp Nou and more. While La Liga accepts those revenue streams, UEFA made it clear back in October that it does not.
The governing body is expected to issue its ruling on Barcelona’s alleged breaches later this month.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘UEFA Does Not Consider’—Barcelona Respond to Potential Champions League Sanctions.
