Why Chelsea Players Could Be Banned From Champions League As New Trouble Emerges
- Chelsea may be unable to register new players for the UEFA Champions League next season unless they sell first
- UEFA has fined the Premier League giants a whopping £26.7 million for breaching its financial rules
- Several Chelsea stars, including Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, could be impacted by UEFA’s List A registration policy
After a successful 2024/25 season under new manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea looked ready to re-establish themselves as European contenders.
The Blues secured fourth place in the Premier League and also lifted the UEFA Conference League, guaranteeing their return to the prestigious UEFA Champions League after a two-year absence.
Source: Getty Images
Maresca has gradually turned Chelsea’s fortunes around after leading the Blues to the FIFA Club World Cup final after their semi-final win over Fluminense, and all signs pointed to a positive new chapter.
However, this promising comeback has hit an unexpected roadblock.
According to recent reports by Yahoo Sports, several Chelsea players could be banned from featuring in the Champions League next season due to fresh UEFA sanctions.
Europe’s football governing body (UEFA) has fined the London club £26.7 million for exceeding their squad cost ratio, a violation of new financial sustainability rules.
Source: Getty Images
If this breach is repeated, the fine could increase to a staggering £51.2 million.
Chelsea faces registration issues
The immediate consequence of UEFA's punishment on Chelsea is not just financial; it affects the club’s ability to register new players for the Champions League, BBC reports.
The Blues must now maintain a positive transfer balance in order to register any new players to the UEFA ‘List A’, the official player list for European competition eligibility.
This list becomes a critical issue because it includes players previously omitted, such as Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana, who were left out due to injury.
UEFA classifies them as 'new entries' since they were not registered during the last competition window.
In addition, summer signings like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro from Brighton, and Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund will also count as new players under this system.
Chelsea now face a difficult situation: without selling players, they cannot register these new players for the Champions League next season.
How can Chelsea resolve this issue?
To comply with UEFA regulations and avoid further consequences, Chelsea must raise at least £60 million in player sales this summer, The Times reports
Fortunately, UEFA will allow amortised player sales capped at five years. For example, a £30 million player sale would be registered as £6 million annually over five years.
This gives Chelsea some time to strategise, but it also places the Blues under pressure to sell in order to balance their books.
Players who were bought and immediately loaned out will also need new loan deals or must be included in the UEFA List A, further complicating the process.
If Chelsea fails to meet UEFA's financial requirements, some of its stars could miss the Champions League.
Chelsea receives heavy fine after brawl
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Chelsea and Leicester City were fined the sum of £22,500 each following their brawl in the penultimate game of the Premier League season.
The Blues won the tie 2-1 to avenge their FA Cup final match defeat to the Foxes, but the game was marred by violence involving players of both club.
Source: Legit.ng
