UEFA imposes strong demands on Barcelona after reducing sanction over FFP breach | OneFootball

A recent report from SPORT has highlighted how UEFA has agreed to significantly reduce the financial penalty initially imposed on FC Barcelona for breaching financial fair play rules.

UEFA had slapped the Catalan giants with a €60 million fine, but after talks between both parties, that figure will be brought down to nearly a third.

There are, however, strings attached.

UEFA’s demands for financial discipline

As per the report, Barcelona must now meet a strict set of financial guidelines over the next three years.

UEFA has asked the club to prove it can operate sustainably by balancing income and expenses without relying on short-term asset sales or ‘levers’.

It appears UEFA does not identify these ‘levers’ as viable means for balancing out the income statement. The body only recognises player sales, reduction of salary and stadium revenue.

UEFA will be keeping a close eye on Barcelona’s finances (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

The agreement includes tight financial monitoring and requires the club to focus on controlling spending and managing salaries within realistic limits.

UEFA, in this case, will accept La Liga’s rules when it comes to signings and salary caps. However, any breach of this agreement could have far more serious consequences than just a financial penalty.

Barça, in fact, could face restrictions on registering players for European competitions or, in the worst-case scenario, even points deductions in the Champions League.

While UEFA did acknowledge the club’s effort to clean up its finances and applauded the stadium project, the body continues to remain stringent on Barcelona on account of years of imbalance.

Barcelona’s first order of business will be to generate revenue through fresh player sales, with sporting director Deco notably expected to sanction the sale of at least eight players by the end of this month.