Barcelona and Manchester United were among several football clubs fined by UEFA on Friday due to violations of financial fair play (FFP) regulations during the 2022/23 season.
Manchester United faced a fine of 300,000 euros ($335,000) for failing to meet the break-even requirement, which aims to limit the financial losses incurred by clubs. The club did not fulfil the necessary criteria outlined by the regulations.
Spanish champions Barcelona, on the other hand, received a 500,000 euro sanction for including profits from sales of intangible assets in their financial statements. These profits were deemed irrelevant income under the FFP regulations, leading to a breach.
FFP rules were introduced by UEFA in 2010 and set a limit on clubs’ losses at a maximum of 30 million euros over three years. However, last season marked the final year of implementation for these regulations. UEFA plans to introduce new licensing and sustainability regulations over the next three seasons.
Several clubs, including Inter Milan, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Roma, and Marseille, escaped sanctions as they met the targets specified in a UEFA settlement agreement.
Among the fined clubs, Belgian side Royal Antwerp and Turkish club Trabzonspor faced the largest penalties, with fines amounting to two million euros each.
The imposition of fines by UEFA aims to promote financial stability and fair competition within European football, ensuring that clubs adhere to responsible financial practices.
