UEFA hands Chelsea, Barca big fines for breaking financial rules

GENEVA (AP) — Chelsea was fined 20 million euros ($23.6 million) for breaking financial monitoring rules and Barcelona was ordered to pay 15 million euros ($17.7 million) by UEFA on Friday.

Both clubs must pay tens of millions of more euros (dollars) in future seasons if they miss financial targets set by UEFA.

Chelsea had been under investigation for the 76.5 million pounds ($104.4 million) sale of two hotels between subsidiaries of Chelsea's holding company, Blueco 22 Ltd. Chelsea has been owned since 2022 by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Chelsea's fine matches the record 20 million euros ($23.6 million) sanction imposed in 2014 on Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain by UEFA. Those were the first round of penalties in the system then called Financial Fair Play.

In other investigations settled on Friday, UEFA fined financially troubled French club Lyon 12.5 million euros ($14.7 million) with future fines conditional on meeting targets.

The club owned by American businessman John Textor is fighting an appeal case next week against being demoted from Ligue 1 amid its financial turmoil, and could yet be excluded by UEFA from the Europa League next season.

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