CFCB update on FFP investigations for 2018/19

The independent UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) Investigatory Chamber today announced that three clubs, CFR Cluj, FK Kaïrat Almaty and Olympique Marseille, for which investigations were opened following non-compliance with financial fair play (FFP) break-even regulations, have individually agreed to settlement agreements.

With the conclusion of these new agreements, six clubs are under the settlement regime in the season 2019/20, i.e. CFR Cluj, Galatasaray SK, FK Kairat Almaty, Olympique Marseille, Maccabi Tel Aviv and FC Porto.

Below are the details of these three new settlement agreements:

Olympique Marseille
• The settlement agreement covers the sporting seasons 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23.

• Olympique Marseille undertakes to report a maximum break-even deficit of €30m in financial year ending in 2020, €0m for the financial year ending in 2021 and finally reach full break-even compliance by monitoring period 2022/23 (i.e. financial years ending in 2020, 2021 and 2022).

• Olympique Marseille agrees that, for the financial year ending in 2020 and for the financial year ending in 2021, the employee benefit expenses to revenue ratio and the amortisation of players’ registrations are restricted.

• Olympique Marseille agrees to pay a total amount up to €6m, which will be withheld from any revenues it earns from participating in UEFA competitions. Of this amount, €2m shall be paid in full, irrespective of any early exit from the settlement regime. Payment of the remaining €4m is conditional and may be withheld in certain circumstances depending on the club's compliance with the operational and financial measures imposed in the settlement agreement.

• Olympique Marseille accepts that it will be subject to a limitation on the number of players that it may include on the A list for the purposes of participation in UEFA competitions. Specifically, for season 2020/21, Olympique Marseille may only register a maximum of 23 players on the A list, instead of the potential maximum of 25 as foreseen in the relevant competition regulations. Such restriction will be lifted for seasons 2021/22 and/or 2022/23 if the club fulfils the operational and financial measures agreed with the CFCB Investigatory Chamber.

• Olympique Marseille accepts, for the duration of the settlement agreement, a calculated limitation on the number of new registrations it may include within its A list for the purposes of participation in UEFA competitions. This calculation is based on the club's net transfer position in each respective registration period covered by the agreement. Such restriction will be lifted for seasons 2021/22 and/or 2022/23 if the club fulfils the operational and financial measures agreed with the CFCB Investigatory Chamber.

CFR Cluj
• The settlement agreement covers only the sporting season 2019/20.

• CFR Cluj undertakes to reach full break-even compliance by monitoring period 2019/20 (i.e. financial years ending in 2017, 2018 and 2019).

• CFR Cluj agrees to pay a total amount of €200,000, which will be withheld from any revenues it earns from participating in UEFA competitions.

• CFR Cluj accepts that it will be subject to a limitation on the number of players that it may include on the A list for the purposes of participation in UEFA competitions. Specifically, for the season 2019/20, it may only register a maximum of 23 players on the A list, instead of the potential maximum of 25 as foreseen in the relevant competition regulations.

FK Kairat Almaty
• The settlement agreement covers the sporting seasons 2019/20 and 2020/21.

• FK Kairat Almaty undertakes to report a maximum break-even deficit of €10m in the financial year ending in 2019 and to reach full break-even compliance by monitoring period 2020/21 (i.e. financial years ending in 2018, 2019 and 2020).

• FK Kairat Almaty agrees that, for the financial year ending in 2019, the employee benefit expenses and the net finance expenses are restricted.

• FK Kairat Almaty agrees to pay a total amount up to €600,000, which will be withheld from any revenues it earns from participating in UEFA competitions. Of this amount, €200,000 shall be paid in full, irrespective of any early exit from the settlement regime. Payment of the remaining €400,000 is conditional and may be withheld in certain circumstances depending on the club's compliance with the operational and financial measures imposed in the settlement agreement.

• FK Kairat Almaty accepts that it will be subject to a limitation on the number of players that it may include on the A list for the purposes of participation in UEFA competitions. Specifically, for season 2019/20, FK Kairat Almaty may only register a maximum of 23 players on the A list, instead of the potential maximum of 25 as foreseen in the relevant competition regulations. Such restriction will be lifted for a season 2020/21 if the club fulfils the operational and financial measures agreed with the CFCB Investigatory Chamber.

The public version of these three settlement agreements will be published on UEFA.com in due course.