برچسب: UEFA

UEFA issue Chelsea statement over Champions League ban

[ad_1]

Back in July, the reigning Club World Cup winners were handed a £27 million fine for breaching UEFA’s financial regulations, specifically those related to football earnings and the squad cost ratio. ..Continue Reading

Chelsea had disclosed a squad cost ratio exceeding 80% for the 2024 financial year, but they reached a settlement with UEFA to address the issue and avoid further penalties.

In a statement released afterwards, Chelsea said: “Chelsea FC greatly values its relationship with UEFA and considered it important to bring this matter to a swift conclusion by entering into a settlement agreement.”

Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports reported that under the terms of Chelsea’s financial settlement with UEFA, the club could only include new signings in their Champions League squad if the cost of those transfers was balanced by selling players who had featured in last season’s Conference League-winning team.

To comply, Chelsea parted ways with Noni Madueke, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson, generating a record £314 million in transfer revenue.

This financial maneuver enabled the club to successfully register newcomers Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Jorrel Hato for the Champions League, meeting UEFA’s requirements without any complications.

In a statement, UEFA said: “The squad list submitted fulfilled the criteria of the settlement agreement and it was therefore already reviewed and approved before publication on UEFA’s website.”

If Chelsea had failed to meet UEFA’s financial requirements, they could have faced a penalty exceeding £70 million.

However, by offloading 23 players and securing an £18 million profit—despite investing £296 million in new talent—the club has positioned itself well for the upcoming Champions League season, a tournament they’ve won twice before.

Their 23-man squad was officially revealed on Wednesday, drawing attention with the inclusion of Alejandro Garnacho, who recently arrived from Manchester United and was listed among the forwards.

Notably absent was Facundo Buonanotte, signed on loan from Brighton. The Argentine had voiced his enthusiasm about competing on Europe’s biggest stage, but he didn’t make the cut for the squad.

Chelsea will have the opportunity to revise their squad with up to three changes in January, provided they advance beyond the league phase.

Under manager Enzo Maresca, the Blues begin their campaign on September 17 against Bayern Munich. Interestingly, Nicolas Jackson—who transferred to Bayern on deadline day—will be eligible to play against his former club.

Their group stage fixtures also include matchups with Benfica, Ajax, Qarabag, Barcelona, Atalanta, Pafos, and Napoli.

Chelsea’s squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen

Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Jorell Hato, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana

Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo

Forwards: Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Marc Guiu, Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho

[ad_2]

Source link

04/09/2025
Arsenal ‘banned’ from facing Inter in the Champions League due to UEFA rule

[ad_1]

A recent UEFA regulation update could prevent Arsenal from playing Inter Milan at the San Siro in next season’s Champions League league phase.

Just last week, Arsenal discovered their opponents for the current campaign’s expanded league format, which includes eight fixtures against top European sides: Bayern Munich (home), Inter Milan (away), Atletico Madrid (home), Club Brugge (away), Olympiakos (home), Slavia Prague (away), Kairat Almaty (home), and Athletic Bilbao (away). ..Continue Reading

Among those matchups, Mikel Arteta’s squad is set to travel to Italy to face Inter Milan on January 26, 2026 — a repeat of their 2024/25 encounter at the same venue, where Arsenal fell 1-0 on matchday four.

Inter Milan, who placed fourth in last season’s league phase, advanced past Barcelona in the semi-finals before suffering a record-breaking defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the final — the heaviest loss in Champions League final history.

Arsenal, still smarting from their previous loss at the San Siro, will be eager to settle the score. However, UEFA’s newly introduced rule may block a third consecutive meeting at the same stadium.

According to UEFA’s Club Competitions Committee, starting from the 2026/27 season, no fixture between the same two clubs can be hosted by the same team three years in a row in the same competition. This means that although Arsenal will visit the San Siro again in January 2026, a repeat in the following season would violate the new regulation.

This adjustment aims to ensure greater fairness and variety in match scheduling, especially as the Champions League continues to evolve under its new 36-team league format.

The website adds: “This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season (although, for the sake of clarity, those teams could still be drawn against each other at the venue of the other team)”.

In short, if they were pitted against each other next campaign, then the game would take place at the Emirates.

This rule change would also stop Real Madrid from playing Liverpool at Anfield in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase.

Arsenal, who are yet to announce their squad list for the competition’s league phase, have until 24:00 CET on Tuesday, September 2 to do the needful.

“Every club must submit two lists of players, including details such as shirt number, date of birth and nationality,” the UEFA website reads.

“In addition, the lists must include confirmation by the club’s doctor that all players have undergone the requested medical examination. List A needs to be submitted to the relevant association to be verified, validated and forwarded to UEFA by 24:00 CET on Tuesday 2 September. The same process applies to List B (more details below), which must be submitted no later than 24:00 CET the day before each match.”

[ad_2]

Source link

02/09/2025
UEFA confirm major Champions League rule change that impacts Arsenal & Chelsea

[ad_1]

Previously, the top eight teams in the League Phase were rewarded with the opportunity to play the second leg of their round of 16 ties at home. ..Continue Reading

However, in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, their League Phase ranking had no influence, as the fixtures were determined by an open draw.

According to reports, UEFA has now agreed to implement a new rule that will allow teams finishing higher in the League Phase to host the second leg throughout the knockout rounds.

This decision was made during a committee meeting ahead of the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.

The competition underwent a significant format change this season, expanding to include a League Phase where the top eight teams automatically advanced to the last 16.

Teams finishing between ninth and 24th had to compete in a play-off, while the remaining clubs were eliminated.

Despite finishing lower than their opponents, PSG and Inter Milan were granted home advantage in the second leg of their semi-final ties against Arsenal and Barcelona.

Both teams capitalized on this advantage to reach the final.

Under the new rule, teams with higher League Phase rankings will host the second leg of their knockout ties.

If this regulation had been in place this season, Arsenal would have played Real Madrid and PSG at the Emirates Stadium in the second leg of their respective matchups.

Although the 2025/26 regulations have already been published, modifications can still be made if approved by the Executive Committee.

A virtual meeting will be held before the League Phase draw on August 28 to finalize the changes.

Discussions had initially explored the possibility of allowing higher-ranked teams to choose whether to play the second leg at home or away, but UEFA ultimately decided to grant them home advantage automatically.

These adjustments will impact clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham when they enter the competition next season, potentially influencing their strategies and performances in the knockout rounds.

[ad_2]

Source link

03/06/2025