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Three Russian football clubs have been fined by UEFA for violating its Financial Fair Play rules. Zenit St. Petersburg, Rubin Kazan and Anzhi Makhachkala are facing a penalty between EUR 2 and 12 million.
UEFA also announced it has reached settlement agreements with all the three clubs. In case of Zenit, the terms are as follows:
- Zenit undertakes to report a maximum break-even deficit of EUR 30 Mio. for the financial year ending in 2015 and no break-even deficit for the financial year ending in 2016.
- Zenit accepts that employee benefit expenses cannot be increased during the next two financial reporting periods (2015 & 2016).
- Zenit accepts that for the duration of the settlement 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 2014/15 Zenit may only register a maximum of 22 players on the “A” list, instead of the potential maximum of 25 as foreseen in the relevant competition regulations. If Zenit manages to comply with the break-even target the club shall gradually be released from the restriction as regards the registration of players in UEFA club competitions.
- Zenit agrees to pay a total amount of EUR 12 Mio. which will be withheld from any revenues it earns from participating in UEFA competitions commencing in season 2013/14. Of this EUR 12 Mio. an amount of EUR 6 Mio. will be withheld conditionally and will be returned to Zenit if the club fulfills the operational and financial measures agreed with the UEFA CFCB.
This is mostly bad news for Zenit since neither Rubin nor Anzhi are going to play in any of the European competitions next season.
Zenit’s new coach will face a restriction on new acquisitions, implying a tough dilemma: to sign a new star player, he would have to sell someone from the current squad. Will it be Hulk?
Author: Mikhail Vesely
