Inter and AC Milan have successfully exited UEFA’s financial monitoring regime after meeting the final targets of their respective settlement agreements. The UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) confirmed that both clubs complied with the football earnings rule throughout the 2025/26 reporting cycle. Conversely, AS Roma remains under oversight and faces €6 million in total fines for failing to meet intermediate financial and squad cost targets.
Why did Inter and Milan exit the UEFA monitoring program?
Inter and Milan satisfied all requirements established in their multi-year settlement agreements, according to official UEFA documentation. The clubs demonstrated compliance with the football earnings rule across the 2023, 2024, and 2025 reporting periods. By hitting these benchmarks, the two Milanese clubs are no longer required to submit to the restrictive financial oversight that has governed their operations in recent years. Other European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, and Besiktas, also successfully completed their paths to compliance, signaling a broader trend of stabilization among top-tier European teams.
The settlement agreement is a structured, multi-year plan. It forces clubs to hit intermediate goals to avoid escalating penalties. If a club misses a target, the CFCB triggers immediate financial sanctions.
How are the €6 million in fines calculated for AS Roma?
AS Roma’s €6 million penalty stems from two distinct breaches of their agreement with the UEFA financial control body. First, the club incurred a €2 million fine for missing an intermediate target during the 2025 fiscal year. Second, a €4 million penalty was applied due to the club’s squad cost ratio, which exceeded the 70% threshold mandated by UEFA regulations. Because of these missed targets, the Friedkin-owned club remains under active monitoring for the 2026/2027 season, requiring them to adhere to stricter budget controls than their Serie A counterparts.
What is the 70% squad cost rule?
UEFA introduced the 70% squad cost rule to curb unsustainable spending on player wages and transfer amortizations. According to the governing body’s financial sustainability regulations, a club’s expenditure on player salaries, coach wages, and transfer fees cannot exceed 70% of its total revenue. This shift marks a transition from the older “break-even” model toward a direct cap on operating expenses. Clubs that fail to keep their payroll in line with their income face immediate economic penalties and potential restrictions on registering new players for European competitions.
Keep an eye on club revenue reports. When a team’s revenue plateaus, their ability to sign high-earning talent is automatically capped by the 70% rule, regardless of the owner’s personal wealth.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can a club be banned from European competition for these breaches? Yes. While the recent cases resulted in fines, persistent failure to meet settlement targets can lead to exclusion from UEFA tournaments.
- Why was Roma fined more than other clubs? Roma failed two separate metrics—the intermediate fiscal target and the squad cost ratio—resulting in a combined penalty of €6 million.
- Does exiting the settlement agreement mean no more rules? No. Clubs must still adhere to standard Financial Sustainability Regulations, though they are no longer subject to the specific, heightened surveillance of a settlement agreement.
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