UEFA Sanctions Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest Over Financial Rule Breaches
Chelsea, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest—have been sanctioned by UEFA after breaching the governing body’s financial sustainability regulations.
UEFA announced on Tuesday that all four clubs violated its Squad Cost Rule, while Newcastle United was also found to have breached the Football Earnings Rule.
Aston Villa received the heaviest sanction, with a fine of €22.5 million (£19.4 million).
However, €15 million (£12.9 million) of the penalty has been suspended, subject to the club’s compliance with UEFA regulations over the next three years.
In addition to the financial penalty, Villa will face restrictions on registering new players for next season’s UEFA Champions League campaign, with further details expected to be confirmed by UEFA.
Chelsea were fined €3 million (£2.6 million), with €2 million (£1.7 million) suspended.
Nottingham Forest were handed a €2.5 million (£2.2 million) fine, while Newcastle United were fined €3 million (£2.6 million) for breaching the Squad Cost Rule.
Newcastle also accepted an additional three-year settlement agreement with UEFA after exceeding the Football Earnings threshold. Under the agreement, the club received another €3 million financial penalty, while a further €7 million has been suspended pending future compliance.
Meanwhile, French club Strasbourg, which is part of Chelsea owners BlueCo’s multi-club network, was also fined €13 million (£11.2 million) for breaching the Squad Cost Rule. UEFA said the sanction could increase by €12 million (£10.3 million) if the club fails to meet the terms of its settlement agreement.
In a statement, UEFA noted that Aston Villa and Chelsea had already been sanctioned last season but acknowledged improvements in their financial position.
“Regarding Aston Villa FC and Chelsea FC, which had already been sanctioned in the previous season, the CFCB First Chamber took into consideration the improving trend in their squad cost ratio between 2024 and 2025 in line with projections submitted as part of their settlement agreement,” UEFA said.
The European governing body added that part of the fines would remain suspended provided both clubs continue to significantly reduce their squad cost ratio during 2026.
Newcastle also confirmed the settlement in a club statement, saying it had worked closely with UEFA to resolve the issue and remains committed to complying fully with financial sustainability regulations going forward.
Under UEFA’s Financial Sustainability Regulations, clubs are generally permitted to lose up to €60 million over a rolling three-year period, with an additional €10 million per year allowed for clubs considered to be in good financial health.
The Squad Cost Rule also limits spending on player and head coach wages, transfer fees and agent commissions to 70 per cent of a club’s revenue, a measure designed to promote long-term financial stability across European football.
