FFP

[LeonW]

I find this totally out of sync with reality. Aren’t we one of only 3 EPL clubs with zero debt?

[Ian.]

So we’ve been back with the big boys for what, 5 years now. We’ve had to spend XY and Z to stay up, and then another chunk just to compete. We’ve qualified for the Conference and the Champions League, with average attendances of 40k. Have fans outside of B6. We’re being punished and hindered by FFP at every hurdle and the neighbours down the road will come up rule the world within a year or so?

I mean these rules are holding us back and a bloody nuisance. It’s not right is it?

[SaddVillan]

A bit more about the UEFA fine from The Athletic

CHELSEA, ASTON VILLA HANDED UEFA FINES, SPENDING RESTRICTIONS FOR BREACHING FINANCIAL RULES

Chelsea and Aston Villa have been fined €31million and €11m respectively after breaching UEFA’s financial rules.

The Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) announced on Friday a series of disciplinary measures for clubs under monitoring for the 2024-25 season.

The unconditional figures are split into a fine for breaking the governing body’s football earnings rule (Chelsea €20m and Villa €5m) and another for being in breach of their squad cost rule (€11m and €6m).

The total fines for each club come to €91m and €26m, with the added conditional fine being part of a settlement agreement with UEFA that covers a four-year period for Chelsea and a three-year period for Villa.

Chelsea and Villa were found to have a squad cost ratio above 80 per cent for 2024 and were awarded fines proportionate to the size of the excess.

Both clubs will also limited in what they can spend with players on UEFA’s List A for club competitions having to hold a positive transfer balance, i.e. the cost of players added must not exceed those being removed.

Elsewhere, Barcelona were handed €15m in unconditional fines while Olympique Lyonnais (€12.5m), Besiktas (€900,000) Panathinaikos (€400,000) and Hajduk Split (€300,000) have also been sanctioned.

Both Chelsea and Villa sold their women’s teams to their respective parent holding companies – Chelsea to Blueco in May and Villa to V Sports at the end of June – in order to generate income and prevent losses that would have them breach the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

Unlike the Premier League, however, UEFA does not allow for the sale of tangible assets to sister or parent companies to count towards their Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

The Athletic reported in July that senior figures describe UEFA’s squad cost rules as the most serious challenge that faces Villa, with compliance a difficult task.

Aston Villa feel comfortable in their abilities to perform on a domestic and European front despite the sanctions.

The Athletic has approached Chelsea for comment although club sources in April, also speaking anonymously, noted that co-owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly were relaxed about their position.

In September 2022, UEFA charged eight clubs with failing to comply with FFP rules, including Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, who were sanctioned with a €10m fine after failing to stay within spending limits.

At the same time PSG were hit with a financial sanction, the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) First Chamber, an independent panel within UEFA tasked with policing FFP, announced that Chelsea, along with multiple clubs competing in Europe in 2021-22, were going to be “monitored closely”.

[AV82EC]

Quite frankly, meh. What’s that convert to, about £8m. We’ve just sold a couple of young starlets for roughly that so it’s already covered. We move on.

[AV82EC]

Also does anyone know which financial year the women’s team sale was booked to? I assume it was 24/25 but anyone know for sure or is it a question of wait to see the accounts next March?

[cdbearsfan]

Did Chelsea get fined more than us because it's  a second offence? If so, does that mean we can expect that sort of fine if we are caught being naughty again?

[AV82EC]

Did Chelsea get fined more than us because it's  a second offence? If so, does that mean we can expect that sort of fine if we are caught being naughty again?

I’d imagine the numbers are bigger for Chelsea so that may have had an influence but I think you’re right on the second offence. And yep if we twat around with SCR again we’ll probably end up in a similar position .

[cdbearsfan]

👍🏼

[Somniloquism]

Both clubs will also limited in what they can spend with players on UEFA’s List A for club competitions having to hold a positive transfer balance, i.e. the cost of players added must not exceed those being removed.

Is that taking last years squad A as the baseline? Because neither club have currently registered a squad A, but Chelsea put a lot of their bomb squad players in it last season so might be screwed if so.

[OCD]

Also sounds like we're limited as to what we spend. Unless we're not that bothered about paying the higher amount.

[SaddVillan]

Did Chelsea get fined more than us because it's  a second offence? If so, does that mean we can expect that sort of fine if we are caught being naughty again?

I’d imagine the numbers are bigger for Chelsea so that may have had an influence but I think you’re right on the second offence. And yep if we twat around with SCR again we’ll probably end up in a similar position .

I understand that the size of the fines was linked to the amount by which each club transgresed.

Chelse exceeded their threshold to a greater extent than we did ours. Hence the larger fine.

[London Villan]

We have an excuse, as we are trying to catch up, but what a financial basket case chelsea are. Despite all their money, the world club invite, russian oil money they are still a mess.

[andyh]

And the ‘fine money’., who gets that ? Who gets the benefit of it ?

10’s and 10’s of millions are flowing into the UEFA coffers, all against poxy rules they have have made up.

[Brazilian Villain]

And the ‘fine money’., who gets that ? Who gets the benefit of it ?

'Grassroots football'.

[IFWaters]

And the ‘fine money’., who gets that ? Who gets the benefit of it ?

'Grassroots football'.

The Club World Cup winners get about £100 million. Just sayin.