UEFA fines Roma $2.2m and warns Basaksehir of European ban in latest club finance rulings

UEFA fined Roma 2 million euros ($2.22 million) and threatened Istanbul Basaksehir with a one-year ban from European competitions in the latest rulings by club finance investigators on Friday. (X/@UEFA)
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Updated 06 September 2024
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UEFA fines Roma $2.2m and warns Basaksehir of European ban in latest club finance rulings

  • Basaksehir also were fined $111,000
  • Fines of $66,500 for Aston Villa and $22,100 for Marseille were imposed for late delivery of accounts for the monitoring system once known as “Financial Fair Play”

GENEVA: UEFA fined Roma 2 million euros ($2.22 million) and threatened Istanbul Basaksehir with a one-year ban from European competitions in the latest rulings by club finance investigators on Friday.
Basaksehir also were fined 100,000 euros ($111,000).
Fines of 60,000 euros ($66,500) for Aston Villa and 20,000 euros ($22,100) for Marseille were imposed for late delivery of accounts for the monitoring system once known as “Financial Fair Play.”
Villa will play in the Champions League this season, likely earning at least 40 million euros ($44 million) in UEFA prize money. Marseille, which were fined by UEFA in 2022, did not qualify for any UEFA competition after reaching the Europa League semifinals last season.
FFP was approved by UEFA in 2009 to promote financial stability in top-level European soccer by evaluating revenue and spending by clubs which qualify for its competitions. It was amended two years ago and rebranded as “Financial Sustainability.”
Critics of the system have said it tries to limit investment by wealthy owners of emerging teams trying to challenge the established elite, and also has not been a deterrent to state-backed clubs Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
UEFA required clubs last season to spend no more than 90 percent of revenue on wages and transfer fees. The so-called “squad cost rule” is being phased in over three seasons toward a 70 percent limit.
“All clubs reported a squad cost ratio within the 90 percent limit applicable for the 2023-24 season,” UEFA said.
PSG, Inter Milan and AC Milan were among clubs fined in previous years which met financial targets last season, UEFA said.
Roma “slightly exceeded the intermediate target” and were fined, UEFA said. Roma will play in the Europa League this season which can pay clubs tens of millions of euros in UEFA prize money.
UEFA’s club finance monitoring panel judged Basaksehir “slightly breached the final target foreseen” last season.
The Turkish club will be barred from the next UEFA competition they qualify for in the next three seasons unless they comply with fresh financial targets. Basaksehir also can register just 23 senior players instead of 25 in the third-tier Conference League this season.


McIlory calls for Australian Open rescheduling in bid to lure stronger field

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McIlory calls for Australian Open rescheduling in bid to lure stronger field

  • The Northern Irishman, who completed a career grand slam this year when he won the US Masters, was one of the main draws at Royal Melbourne this week
Rory McIlroy, the world’s second-ranked golfer, has called on organizers of the Australian Open to reschedule the event in an effort to attract a stronger international field to the tournament in the future.
The Northern Irishman, who completed a career grand slam this year when he won the US Masters, was one of the main draws at Royal Melbourne this week and finished in a tie for 14th, eight shots behind winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
“I’ve been excited to come back down here for a while, it’s been over 10 years since I played in the Australian Open,” McIlroy said after his final round.
“This is a golf tournament that has got so much potential and I think it showed a little bit of that this week. There’s still a ways to go.
“I would love to have a few more players come down and play. But it’s hard. There’s three tournaments going on in the schedule this week.
“There needs to be conversations had with people much more important than me that set the schedules and do all that sort of stuff.
“Hopefully the Australian Open can find a date that accommodates everyone and everyone can at least have the option to come down and play.”
The tournament marked the end of a stellar season for the 36-year-old.
In addition to his long-awaited Masters success, McIlroy won a seventh Race to Dubai title plus the Irish Open and was a member of the European team that successfully defended the Ryder Cup in the US in September.
“I’m looking forward to a little break,” he said. “I played a pretty heavy schedule post the summer, with the Irish Open, then the Ryder Cup and then I’ve been globetrotting all over the last couple of months.”
“I’m excited to have little bit of downtime, finally reflect on everything, maybe watch a few of the tournaments back. I’ve not really let myself do that too much.”
“Looking forward to the Christmas break and put the feet up, a few glasses of wine and think back on about what an unbelievable year it’s been.”