Chelsea could take AC Milan path and accept European ban
Chelsea could follow AC Milan and end up accepting the ban from the UEFA competitions if they win the League Cup and qualify for the Europa Conference League, according to a new report by Daily Mail.
As of now the Blues from London are only adhering to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR). The PSR rules allow financial losses of up to £105m ($133m) over three years.
Despite all the mega transfer spending spree, Chelsea went on to maintain the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR) last year. They continue to maintain a stance that all the PSR sustainability rules will be met even this year.
The UEFA PSR threshold, a more difficult squeeze
However, if Chelsea were to qualify for a UEFA competition they would have to adhere to UEFA’s PSR rules. If Chelsea wins the Carabao Cup against Liverpool this week and qualifies for the Europa Conference League they will have to adhere to UEFA’s PSR threshold.
UEFA regulations are a significant squeeze than the Premier League rules. Under the UEFA regulations, you can only accumulate losses up to £68.5m ($86m). Considering those financial restrictions on losses, the Londoners may choose against playing in Europe next season.
Kieran Maguire, who is a financial expert, went on to explain to the Athletic how Chelsea can benefit from sitting out of Europe. Chelsea could follow the steps of AC Milan. AC Milan had breached three FFP regulations but they met with UEFA and reached a settlement that would mean AC Milan would sit out a year of Europa League football in 2019.
More Chelsea News
- Nicolas Jackson was upset with Chelsea teammate Enzo Fernandez vs Manchester City
- Chelsea ready to make offer for Harry Kane who is doubtful to continue at Bayern Munich next season
- Ricard Keys slams Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea for their inconsistent performances this season
In such cases though a club is banned from playing in Europe for two years but Chelsea can use AC Milan as an example and cite a similar deal with UEFA if they beat Liverpool this weekend and qualify for playing in Europe. Kieran Maguire said:
“It could be in Chelsea’s interests to do the same as Milan. We’re moving into the realms of three-dimensional chess here, which some clubs are capable of playing. By the time you pay the players’ bonuses for qualifying for the competition, transport, accommodation and other costs, you’re only making a small amount of money from the Conference League. You’ll struggle to get a decent number of fans to attend Stamford Bridge if the opposition is modest. That isn’t a criticism of them. It’s modern-day economics. If they are exceeding the UEFA limits, the question becomes: ‘Do we want to go and play in the Conference League next season?’. Because they won’t make any money from it.”
More Chelsea News
- Chelsea are working on a move for Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface
- Chelsea’s release clause in Marc Guehi deal will alert the Blues if other clubs make any offer for centre-back
- Don Hutchinson was captivated by Chelsea player Malo Gusto and his performance vs Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku
Missing out on European football is a blow but not as much as being faced with sanctions from UEFA. Let’s wait and see how this progresses.