UEFA has officially announced that both FC Barcelona and Manchester United have been fined for violating the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. Manchester United received a €300,000 ($336,420) fine for minor break-even deficits over the financial years spanning from 2019 to 2022. Barcelona, on the other hand, faced a larger penalty of €500,000 ($560,700) for incorrectly reporting profits on the disposal of intangible assets in the financial year 2022, which did not comply with the FFP regulations. Both clubs earned substantial amounts of UEFA prize money last season, with Barcelona participating in the Champions League group stage and later being eliminated by Manchester United in the Europa League knockout playoffs. Meanwhile, United reached the quarterfinals but was knocked out by eventual winner Sevilla. AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain, who were fined by UEFA in September of the previous year, successfully met their stricter financial targets for the latest season and will continue to be monitored for compliance. The FFP rules were introduced by UEFA in 2009 to ensure that football clubs do not exceed their income while striving for success, in order to safeguard their long-term financial stability. UEFA has recently updated the FFP regulations, prioritizing financial sustainability for clubs and shifting away from setting competitive balance as the primary target. In related news, Real Madrid has come under scrutiny for irregular financial activities revealed in their published financial results, particularly concerning the allocation of funds to "other operating expenses" that remain unexplained. The club has not provided details about a deal signed in the 2017-18 fiscal year with the private equity group "Providence," involving the sale of future income streams. Income generated from undisclosed portions of future sponsorships, recorded as revenue instead of debt, has raised concerns.
