UEFA Fines Marseille and Roma for Financial Breaches; OM Faces Conditional Ban

UEFACompetition·UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) has levied substantial financial sanctions against Olympique de Marseille and AS Roma, citing their failure to adhere to financial targets established in prior settlement agreements during the 2025/26 season. These measures include considerable fines and potential sporting penalties, particularly impacting the French club.

Olympique de Marseille has been fined a total of €10 million by the CFCB. This penalty comprises a €6 million fine for non-compliance with the football earnings rule across the financial reporting periods ending in 2023, 2024, and 2025. An additional €4 million fine was imposed for breaching the squad cost rule, as the club reported a squad cost ratio exceeding 70% for the calendar year 2025. Beyond the financial implications, Marseille faces a restriction on registering new players on List A for UEFACompetition·UEFA competitions in the upcoming 2026/27 season. More critically, the club faces exclusion from the next UEFACompetition·UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the subsequent three seasons, unless it successfully complies with the football earnings target in the 2026/27 season. UEFACompetition·UEFA acknowledged that a significant and unexpected decline in domestic television revenues, which affected French clubs during the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons, was a contributing factor in determining these measures.

In response to the decision, Olympique de Marseille released a statement confirming their participation in the Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League for the 2026/2027 season. The club also affirmed its commitment to "continue the necessary efforts to respect all our commitments and respond to the conditions set by UEFACompetition·UEFA," emphasizing its objective to pursue development on "solid and sustainable sporting, economic, and financial foundations."

AS Roma also received sanctions, incurring a total fine of €6 million. This includes a €2 million fine for slightly exceeding an intermediate financial target set for the financial year ending in 2025, alongside an additional €4 million fine for reporting a squad cost ratio above 70% for the calendar year 2025.

The implications of these sanctions arrive as both clubs concluded their 2025/26 domestic campaigns. Olympique de Marseille finished 5th in Ligue 1Competition·Ligue 1, securing qualification for the Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League in 2026/27. AS Roma, under new head coach Gian Piero GasperiniCoach·Gian Piero Gasperini, concluded their Serie ACompetition·Serie A season in 3rd place with 73 points, thereby qualifying for the 2026-2027 Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League league phase. Roma demonstrated strong form, winning their last five consecutive matches and remaining unbeaten in their last seven. Marseille, despite their financial challenges, will participate in the Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League for the upcoming season, as confirmed by the club.

In contrast to Marseille and Roma, several other prominent European clubs successfully met their settlement targets. These include Milan, InterTeam·Inter, Paris Saint-GermainTeam·Paris Saint-Germain, MonacoTeam·Monaco, BeşiktaşTeam·Beşiktaş, Royal Antwerp, and Trabzonspor, highlighting the varying degrees of success clubs have had in navigating UEFACompetition·UEFA's financial regulations.