The Times.
Aston Villa are set to be hit with a heavy fine for breaching Uefa’s financial rules for a second year running. The club are expected to have breached Uefa’s squad cost rule, which imposes financial penalties if a club’s spending on player wages, transfers and agents is more than 70 per cent of its revenue.
The rule is effectively a luxury tax and Villa were fined €6million (about £5.2million) in July for breaching the 80 per cent level during 2024, and that limit was reduced by Uefa to 70 per cent for 2025, which the club have struggled to comply with.
However, it is thought Villa are not in danger of violating their settlement deal agreed with Uefa last year for breaching its separate football earnings rule that covers financial losses. That deal included a €5million fine, targets around future losses and some transfer restrictions. Breaches of the settlement can lead to more serious sanctions such as exclusion from European competition.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery kneels on the sideline with his arms outstretched while coach Austin MacPhee holds his head in disappointment after a missed chance.
Uefa fine teams who spend more than 70 per cent of income on player wages, transfers and agents
Villa are understood to have complied with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules but that was greatly helped by the club being able to register as income the £55million they received for selling the women’s team to their parent company. Uefa does not allow such related-party deals to be declared as revenue.
Club insiders say there has been a big drop in revenues from competing in the Champions League last season to the Europa League this season, and that the club did not try to include income from the women’s team sale as part of its submission of figures to Uefa.
