UEFA strikes again! Barcelona violates financial problems, Champions League may be reduced + points deducted

The financial supervision sword of European football once again hangs above Barcelona's head. This time, the blade was only a slight difference from the throat.

According to the latest news from The Times, Barcelona has violated UEFA financial regulations for the second consecutive year, and UEFA sanctions are on the verge of on the string. What's more serious is that unlike Chelsea and Aston Villa who are "first offenders" (only facing economic penalties), Barcelona may have been forced to reduce the number of registered players in the Champions League and even deducted points because they are "recending offenders".

Barcelona's financial operations can be regarded as a "magic drama". In 2022, the club sold 10% of the broadcast rights for the next 25 years for 267 million euros, trying to package the money into "other operating income" and stuff it into a safe zone of the Fiscal Fair Competition (FFP). However, UEFA's cold eyes saw through it and determined that this was "profit for disposing of intangible assets" and refused to approve it.

The unwilling Barcelona sold another 15% broadcasting rights to cash out 400 million euros in July of the same year, and was decided by the International Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) that the nature of the revenue was not in compliance with the rules and the red line of loss was completely lost. This kind of capital transfer that can break up the east and west walls has never escaped UEFA's microscope.

Barcelona's trouble is also "choosing the wrong reference system". The Premier League allows the "financial skills" to sell assets to affiliated companies, but UEFA expressly prohibits such operations. Chelsea hit the same wall - trying to sell the women's team to an affiliate for a record £200 million, but was found out. Rule differences have become Barcelona's "cognitive trap", but UEFA's ruler will not bend a single point for this.

What's more fatal is that Barcelona's case has long been recorded. In October last year, the club was fined 500,000 euros for falsely reporting profits, and appealed to CAS and was rejected. The ruling leaves a clear goal: If the crime is committed again, it will be "harderly sanctions". The words are still in my ears. The second violation has become a fact. UEFA's ruler will only be more harsh this time. UEFA is expected to announce a penalty decision this month. If the player registration quota is cut: for example, from 25 to 21, Barcelona's deployment of troops will make it worse. Think about the dilemma of Alves being kicked out of the roster due to registration restrictions in the 2022 Europa League. Under the high-intensity schedule of the new season, the lack of soldiers is almost equivalent to being eliminated early. And what if points are deducted? The group stage started with heavy loads and climbed the hills, and Barcelona's dream of revival may be severely damaged.

Ironically, while Barcelona deals with UEFA, La Liga is also putting pressure on the same time. In April, La Liga officials named it for its 100 million euros to sell its VIP seats at Camp Nou, which violated the fair competition rules. The financial hole is getting bigger and bigger, and this "double-line audit" makes Barcelona breathe with the smell of burning euros.

When Barcelona cuts the "future" into broadcast rights fragments for sale, UEFA's account book only writes a line of comments: Those who overdraw tomorrow are not worthy of today.

Champions League sanctions may temporarily "correct" a club, but in the gold and dollar craze in the football world, Barcelona will never be the last instance of falling on the financial wire.