Europa League winners Atletico Madrid were among 23 clubs to have prize money withheld as European soccer's governing body UEFA revealed the first sanctions under its financial fair play rules on Tuesday. The measures were announced as members of the European Clubs Association (ECA), which represents more than 200 clubs, were warned at a meeting in Geneva that some of them were not taking the new rules seriously.
"ECA members unanimously endorsed the financial fair play project back in 2010," said ECA president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who is also Bayern Munich's chief executive. "However, it seems that quite a few clubs have not understood the message. Time has come to take the new rules seriously. ECA will continue to support financial fair play." ECA also heard from former Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene, who heads the UEFA committee charged with enforcing the new financial rules.
"I am still very worried about the current situation," he told clubs, according to an ECA statement. "The Financial Fair Play Regulations are known for more than two years, but I have the impression that some clubs still need to do their homework." UEFA said the 23 clubs, who also include Qatari-owned La Liga side Malaga and Portugal's Sporting, were found to have "important" overdue payments to other teams, their own employees or social and tax authorities.
As a result their money for taking part in European competition would be withheld pending further investigation, UEFA said in a statement. The clubs will have to provide an updated report on September 30 to Dehaene's committee. "This ... measure will remain in force until all identified balances have been settled in full or until a final decision by the (UEFA committee) is taken," said UEFA.
Among other clubs under investigation are Dinamo Bucharest and Rapid Bucharest of Romania, Turkey's Fenerbahce and Serbia's Partizan Belgrade. All are involved in this season's UEFA competitions. There were no clubs from the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A or France's Ligue 1 among the clubs named. Malaga recognised they owed money to the Spanish tax service and said they were trying to reach an settlement. "One month ago, an internal restructuring process was started to guarantee the future viability of the club," Malaga said in a statement.