• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Barcelona Fined $500K for ‘Intentionally’ Misleading About PE Money

  • The Spanish club was found to have knowingly misreported financial information.
  • The fine is related to a deal to sell off future broadcast earnings to a U.S. investment firm.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

FC Barcelona tried to solve its financial headaches by selling off some of its future earnings. It’s now going to have to pay a roughly $542,000 fine for how it accounted for that money.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Barcelona’s latest appeal in a ruling published Friday. The fine was originally imposed by UEFA in July 2023, and the club lost its appeal to that body in November of that year.

Several factors, including strict LaLiga financial rules and the COVID-19 pandemic, left Barcelona in a sticky financial situation. As a quick-fix move to help dig itself out, the club made deals to sell 25% of its next 25 years of broadcasting revenue from domestic matches to Sixth Street, a U.S.-based investment firm.

UEFA said, and the CAS confirmed, that Barcelona “intentionally” misreported that money to overstate its “break-even results” by about $290 million.

The CAS also said UEFA gave Barcelona a chance to fix the error, which would’ve lowered the fine to about $86,000, but the club didn’t correct it.

The approximate $542,000 fine was “actually rather mild,” the CAS said. “The Panel finds that the intentional nature of the violation in conjunction with the major impact of an overstatement of Relevant Income in an amount of [about $290 million] in a single season make the infringement severe, justifying also a severe sanction,” the court ruled.

Barcelona has been trying to recover from a financial headache for almost a decade. Its spending on players rose just as the pandemic cut revenue, and left the club violating tight LaLiga rules around spending. As superstars like Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué have left the club, and Barcelona has signed younger players, the wage bill has gone down. The sale to Sixth Street will hurt its revenue in the future, but it helped bring in about $330 million last year.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Liverpool’s $598M Transfer Spree: End of the Title Race Already?

A deal for Swedish striker Alexander Isak highlights a record outlay.

Gareth Bale: MLS Quality Hurt By Low Salaries

Bale said MLS salaries aren’t competitive enough to lure stars from Europe.
Aug 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Son Heung-min poses during an LAFC introductory press conference at BMO Stadium

Son Heung-Min Effect Will Hit Big for MLS and L.A.

With a record signing, the South Korean supernova has landed at LAFC.
United

Manchester United Knocked Out of Cup by Team With $2.6 Million Payroll

United’s team payroll is almost 100 times larger than Grimsby’s.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.

Osaka Ousts Gauff As American Presence at US Open Dwindles

Gauff’s exit shifts spotlight to Pegula, Anisimova, and Fritz at US Open.
Dallas Wings
August 29, 2025

WNBA Teams Desperate to Expand Rosters Amid ‘Extreme Hardship’ 

The Wings are scrambling to field eight players Friday night.
September 1, 2025

The Big Money Behind Minor League Baseball’s Renaming Revolution

Teams are rebranding for local pride—and huge revenue.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 29, 2025

Who Are the Richest MLB Owners?

MLB owners are among the wealthiest people in the U.S.
August 28, 2025

Selig Backs MLB Salary Cap, but Warns Against Labor Fight

The league’s former commissioner cites salary-cap success in other leagues.
May 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
August 28, 2025

Mark Cuban on Why NBA Expansion Isn’t Imminent

Cuban said the next CBA could help solve some expansion issues.
Aug 24, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half at Target Center.
August 27, 2025

Caitlin Clark Still Out With 2 Weeks Left in WNBA Season

The WNBA regular season ends Sept. 11.