Aston Villa have been hit with a £19.4m (€22.5m) fine by Uefa for a “significant breach” of its squad-cost rule for 2025 – the second successive season the club has been penalised – as doubts deepen over whether World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will remain at the club.
The punishment, announced on Tuesday, includes a suspended element of £12.9m (€15m) that will depend on the club continuing to reduce its squad-cost ratio in 2026. It effectively rolls over a conditional penalty handed down last July, when Villa were fined £9.5m (€11m) with a further £12.9m suspended over three years.
“Aston Villa fined £19.4m for second year; Martinez may leave amid wage bill cuts.”
Martinez, 33, is currently at the World Cup with Argentina, attempting to become only the fourth goalkeeper to win the tournament twice. But Villa have been “open to letting him leave” this summer as they look to trim the wage bill and reduce the average age of the squad, according to sources close to the club. Manager Unai Emery’s transfer priorities lie elsewhere – he wants a winger, a right-back, a striker and a midfielder – but sales would aid Villa’s compliance with Premier League profit and sustainability regulations. Juventus are keen, and there is a feeling a parting of the ways could happen this year after Martinez came close to joining Manchester United last summer.
“Sometimes football can change; managers can come in and go,” Martinez said last month. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t have full respect for the club. I have a commitment with Aston Villa. I am a World Cup winner with Aston Villa. I have won two Golden Gloves with Aston Villa. I will always and forever love this club.” Despite his words, Villa have planned for his exit: they are interested in Manchester City’s James Trafford, Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro and Parma’s Zion Suzuki.
Villa were not alone in being punished. Chelsea were fined £2.6m (€3m), of which £1.7m (€2m) is suspended, after breaching Uefa’s squad-cost rule for a second year running. Chelsea said in a statement that Uefa had “recognised the improving trend” in their spending and that the 70% threshold was only “narrowly exceeded”. Last summer the club was fined £26.7m (€31m) for financial sustainability breaches, with further potential penalties of up to £51.7m (€60m) over three years. The club also sold Mathis Amougou to sister club Strasbourg for £12m – a transaction now under scrutiny – and Strasbourg themselves were fined £21.5m (€25m), with £10.3m (€12m) suspended, for reporting a squad-cost ratio above 70%.
Nottingham Forest were fined £2.2m (€2.5m), while Newcastle United received a £2.6m (€3m) fine for a first breach of squad-cost rules and a further £8.6m (€10m) for overspending on Uefa’s football earnings threshold, of which £6m (€7m) is suspended for three years pending future compliance. Newcastle’s punishment follows the sale of the leasehold to St James’ Park and adjacent land to PZ Holdings Limited, a subsidiary company, which Uefa did not allow for accounting purposes. The club said in a statement they were “committed to full ongoing compliance”.
The fines underline the growing gap between Uefa and Premier League financial rules. Uefa reduced the squad-cost limit from 80% to 70% of income last season, while the Premier League’s own version of squad-cost limits, which allows spending of up to 85%, kicks in on Wednesday. For clubs competing in Europe, the stricter Uefa rules apply – and Villa, fresh from winning the Europa League last month, now face a restriction on registering new players for next season’s Champions League. Whether Martinez will be part of that campaign remains to be seen.