OFFICIAL: UEFA fines FC Barcelona €15 million

It's official! As has been speculated recently, FC Barcelona has received a sanction from UEFA due to non-compliance with the 'fair play' financial rules established by the governing body of European football.

Based on this, the 'azulgrana' team will be penalized with a fine of €15M. Likewise, a sporting restriction is imposed: they will not be able to register any new player in their List A for UEFA club competitions unless the Transfer Balance of List A is positive.

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Why did UEFA sanction FC Barcelona?

According to the informative note issued by UEFA, the 'culé' team was sanctioned for the following:

"In particular, the Club did not comply with the Football Earnings rule because it presented an accumulated deficit of Football Earnings greater than the acceptable deviation in the 2024/25 season (i.e., for the reporting periods ending in 2023 and 2024)."

At this point, it is worth mentioning that, although Barcelona has not been exempt from the sanction, it has been substantially less than what was rumored at first: there was talk of an economic penalty of up to €60M in full. Now, the remaining €45M are subject to compliance with a series of conditions and requirements of the financial regulations for a period of two years. If they fail to comply, the team from the 'Ciudad Condal' could have to assume them as follows:

1. 22.5 million euros if the club exceeds the 2025 Target.
2. 22.5 million euros if the club exceeds the Final Target.

If the Club exceeds any of the above targets by less than €20M, the conditional fine will be calculated proportionally according to the deviation. Any conditional amount calculated will be doubled if the Football Earnings result is not based on an adequate reporting perimeter, or if the financial information does not comply with the accounting requirements of the CLFS.

• 📌 THE FACT: The First Chamber of the CFCB determined that, in addition to Barcelona, other clubs also failed to comply with the income rule. This rule prevents accounting for certain operations as income, such as asset sales, swaps (player exchanges), or transfers between linked clubs. The sanctioned teams were: HNK Hajduk Split (Croatia), Aston Villa and Chelsea (England), Olympique Lyon (France) and FC Porto (Portugal).

Agreement between FC Barcelona and UEFA

In this context, the 'azulgrana' team would have reached a conciliation agreement with UEFA under the commitment to correct its financial situation within a couple of years, that is, before the end of the 2026/27 season. The conciliation regime will cover:

1. The two reporting periods ending in 2025 and 2026.
2. The sports seasons 2025/26 and 2026/27.

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In addition to this, according to the informative note from UEFA, the clubs involved were urged to comply with the following objectives:

1. In the 2025/26 season, the Club must present a maximum Football Earnings deficit of 5 million euros for the reporting period ending in 2026 (the "2025 Target").
2. In the 2026/27 season, it must comply with the stability requirements (Football Earnings rule), presenting an accumulated surplus, or a deficit within the acceptable deviation, in the reports ending in 2024, 2025, and 2026 (the "Final Target").

Additional requirements demanded by UEFA

Likewise, UEFA requires Barcelona and the other affected clubs to commit to:

1. Comply with the licensing criteria established in Article 18.01 of the CLFS.
2. Demonstrate their ability to continue as a going concern, presenting auditor reports without reservations or unfavorable opinions.
3. Present truthful, complete, and accurate financial and legal information, including the Transfer Balance.

They are also obliged to:

1. Provide information based on an adequate reporting perimeter in accordance with the CLFS.
2. Comply with the accounting requirements of the CLFS, including the minimums of Annex G.
3. Submit progress reports every 6 months to the First Chamber of the CFCB.
4. Comply with the obligations of the Sports Disciplinary Measures.
5. Fully collaborate with UEFA and the designated auditors.
6. Proactively present any relevant information that may affect compliance with the agreement, even if there are no established deadlines for it.

What happens if Barça fails to comply with the agreement reached with UEFA?

UEFA has made the consequences clear in case of non-compliance:

If the club exceeds the Final Target by less than 20 million euros, financial and sports measures will be applied according to Sections 6 and 7.

Barça will be in breach of the agreement if:

1. Exceeds the 2025 Target or the Final Target by more than 20 million euros.
2. Fails to comply with any of the mentioned commitments.

In case of serious non-compliance, the CFCB will terminate the Conciliation Agreement, and whether it is FC Barcelona or any other team, it accepts a maximum sanction: exclusion from the next UEFA club competition for which it qualifies, during the following three seasons.