Chelsea
have agreed a settlement with UEFA and will hand over 10million euros
(£8.6m) for "submitting incomplete financial information" during the Roman
Abramovich era.
A UEFA statement said the club's new owners "identified, and proactively
reported to UEFA, instances of potentially incomplete financial reporting
under the club's previous ownership" between 2012 and 2019.
The statement added: "Following its assessment, including the applicable
statute of limitations, the CFCB (Club Financial Control Body) First Chamber
entered into a settlement agreement with the club which has agreed to pay a
financial contribution of 10 million euros to fully resolve the reported
matters."
Meanwhile, UEFA has removed Juventus from the Europa Conference League in a
separate financial wrongdoing case.
The CFCB First Chamber concluded that Juventus (ITA) violated the UEFA's
regulatory framework and breached a settlement agreement signed in August
2022.
UEFA had already taken the club out of Champions League qualification.
Juventus now loses its spot in the third-tier Europa Conference League,
which will go to Fiorentina in the play-offs round starting on August 24.
UEFA said Juventus must also pay a fine of 10 million euros for breaking
Financial Fair Play rules. A further 10 million euros could be deducted if
the club fails to comply with UEFA financial monitoring rules in future
seasons.
The UEFA punishment for Juventus was expected since last season when the
club was deducted 10 points in Serie A.
UEFA said its club finance investigators ruled Juventus violated the terms
of a settlement agreed with the club last year.
Juventus, while continuing to consider the alleged violations insubstantial
and its actions correct, has declared to accept the decision by waiving to
appeal, expressly excluding, with the UEFA CFCB acknowledgment, that this
may constitute admission of any liability against itself.
President Gianluca Ferrero said : "We do not share the interpretation that
has been given of our defence, and we remain firmly convinced of the
legitimacy of our actions and the validity of our arguments. However, we
have decided not to appeal this judgment.
"We prefer to put an end to the period of uncertainty and ensure full
visibility and certainty to our internal and external stakeholders about the
club's participation in future international competitions. Lodging an
appeal, possibly to other levels of judgement, with uncertain outcomes and
timing, would increase the uncertainty with respect to our eventual
participation in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.
"Despite this painful decision we can now face the new season by focusing on
the field and not on the courts."
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