UEFA slap Rangers on finance watchlist with 18 other clubs - how Ibrox men can escape sanctions

Rangers have been put on a UEFA financial watchlist and told to comply fully with club licensing rules.

In a document released by the European game’s governing body on Friday, Rangers were among a number of clubs namechecked over their finances.

While the Ibrox club were technically able to meet the requirements to break even, this only occurred – in the words of UEFA – due to “Covid-19 financial emergency measures and/or because they benefited from historical positive break-even results”.

Eighteen other clubs have been highlighted by UEFA and told that Covid-19 aid and historical results will not allow exemptions from sanctions. “These clubs were further asked for additional financial information and will be monitored closely in the upcoming period,” UEFA said. “The goal of course is that the clubs’ overall financial situation is in compliance with the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations – Edition 2022 in coming years.”

Rangers are being monitored by UEFA.

Rangers have raised considerable revenue over the past year owning to them reaching the 2021/22 Europa League final and recouping close to £30million in player sales after Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo left for Ajax and Southampton respectively.

The 18 other clubs in the same boat as Rangers are Borussia Dortmund (GER), Chelsea FC (ENG), FC Barcelona (ESP), FC Basel 1893 (SUI), 1.FC Union Berlin (GER), Fenerbahçe SK (TUR), Feyenoord (NED), Leicester City FC (ENG), Manchester City FC (ENG), Olympique Lyonnais (FRA), Real Betis Balompié (ESP), Royal Antwerp FC (BEL), Sevilla FC (ESP), SS Lazio (ITA), SSC Napoli (ITA), Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR), VFL Wolfsburg (GER) and West Ham United FC (ENG).

Eight clubs did not comply with the break-even requirements between 2018 and 2022 – AC Milan (ITA), AS Monaco (FRA), AS Roma (ITA), Beşiktaş JK (TUR), FC Internazionale Milano (ITA), Juventus (ITA), Olympique de Marseille (FRA) and Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) – and they have agreed to financial contributions of just under £170million between them. PSG pay the biggest penalty at £62m.

UEFA said: “Under the three-year settlement agreement, clubs agree to comply with the football earning rule during the 2025/26 season. They undertake to reach intermediate annual targets, and to the application of conditional financial and sporting measures should these targets not be met.”

CS Santa Clara (POR) and RSC Anderlecht (BEL) made minor breaches to the rules, while Porto (POR), Lille (FRA) and İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) “only partially fulfilled the targets set for the 2021/22 season and, as a result, the conditional sporting measures foreseen in the settlement agreement, namely the limitation on the number of players a club can register in the List A and the restrictions of newly transferred players, will apply in the 2022/23 season”.