Sanction comes after months of scrutiny in which UEFA evaluated Barcelona’s 2024 accounts
UEFA has fined Barcelona €15m for exceeding acceptable financial losses, marking the second time the La Liga club has been penalised under the governing body’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) framework.
The sanction comes after months of scrutiny in which UEFA evaluated Barcelona’s 2024 accounts and finally determined that the club breached allowable loss thresholds. The disciplinary action serves to emphasise Barcelona’s current financial instability.
Club president Joan Laporta met with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin last month in an attempt to negotiate a lesser penalty. While the final figure of €15m is significant, Barcelona have avoided more severe punishment, including the exclusion from European competition which was a possibility due to the club’s repeat offence. Barcelona was fined €500,000 in 2023 for misrepresenting income in their financial reporting.
The Catalan club, who will participate in next season’s UEFA Champions League, will remain under monitoring. Additional fines could be levied in future seasons should the club continue to break financial rules.
Barcelona are not the only major club sanctioned. Premier League side Chelsea have received the largest fine in a single season under UEFA’s new financial regulations, totalling €31 million. The English club was penalised €20m for failing to meet break-even requirements and an additional €11m for exceeding the limit on squad spending.
Aston Villa, Lyon and Roma were also among those fined. English side Villa will pay €11m, while French side Lyon and Italy’s Roma have been hit with €12.5m and €3m penalties respectively.
The financial sanctions are part of UEFA’s updated FFP structure, designed to enforce more sustainable spending among clubs participating in European competitions. The current model allows clubs to spend up to 80% of their revenue on their playing squad, with that threshold set to decrease to 70% by 2026.
Both Barcelona and Chelsea are expected to earn tens of millions in prize and broadcast revenue from the Champions League next season, which could help them with financial recovery.
