UEFA fined Roma 2 million euros ($2.22 million) and warned Istanbul Basaksehir of a possible one-year ban from European competitions in its latest decisions on Friday. Basaksehir also faced a fine of 100,000 euros ($111,000).
Aston Villa was fined 60,000 euros ($66,500), and Marseille was fined 20,000 euros ($22,100) for delays in submitting their accounts for the monitoring system previously known as “Financial Fair Play.”
Villa will participate in the Champions League this season and is expected to earn at least 40 million euros ($44 million) in UEFA prize money. Marseille, which had a previous fine from UEFA in 2022, did not qualify for any UEFA competition after reaching the Europa League semifinals last season.
FFP was introduced by UEFA in 2009 to ensure financial stability in top European soccer by assessing the revenue and spending of clubs participating in its competitions. It was updated two years ago and renamed “Financial Sustainability.”
Critics argue that the system limits investment by wealthy owners of new teams aiming to challenge established top teams and has not deterred state-backed clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
UEFA required clubs last season to spend no more than 90% of their revenue on wages and transfer fees. This “squad cost rule” is being gradually implemented over three seasons with a goal of reaching a 70% limit.
“All clubs reported a squad cost ratio within the 90% limit for the 2023-24 season,” UEFA stated.
PSG, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, which were fined in previous years, met financial targets last season, according to UEFA.
Roma “slightly exceeded the intermediate target” and was fined, UEFA said. Roma will compete in the Europa League this season, which can provide substantial UEFA prize money.
UEFA’s club finance monitoring panel found that Basaksehir “slightly breached the final target” last season.
