Chelsea could accept a ban from UEFA competitions next season if they qualify for the Europa Conference League, according to a new report.
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Chelsea could qualify for Conference LeagueWould bring them under European Profit and Sustainability rules Chelsea may accept ban instead of playing WHAT HAPPENED?
Per , Chelsea are only currently bound by the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR), which allow for losses of up to £105m ($133m) over three years. They met that objective last season and have maintained they will again meet the threshold this year. However, if they were to qualify for the Europa Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup this weekend, they would then be bound by UEFA's PSR rules.
Under those regulations, Chelsea can only lose up to £68.5m ($86m), a significant squeeze on their current obligations, and it has been speculated that the club could now look to avoid playing in Europe altogether next season.
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As Kieran Maguire, a financial expert, explained to , Chelsea could receive more financial freedom if they follow AC Milan's example. The Serie A club breached FFP three times, per UEFA, and the two parties reached a compromise that allowed the Italian side to sit out one year of Europa League football in 2019. Normally, clubs would be banned for two years for such an offence but Chelsea may find it productive to try to strike a similar deal with the European governing body if they beat Liverpool this weekend. The Conference League winners last season were West Ham and they were paid £16m for their win; Chelsea earned £82m by reaching the round of 16 of the Champions League last season.
Getty ImagesWHAT KIERAN MAGUIRE SAID
Maguire said: “It could be in Chelsea’s interests to do the same as Milan. We’re moving into the realms of three-dimensional chess here, which some clubs are capable of playing.
“By the time you pay the players’ bonuses for qualifying for the competition, transport, accommodation and other costs, you’re only making a small amount of money from the Conference League. You’ll struggle to get a decent number of fans to attend Stamford Bridge if the opposition is modest. That isn’t a criticism of them. It’s modern-day economics.
“If they are exceeding the UEFA limits, the question becomes: ‘Do we want to go and play in the Conference League next season?’. Because they won’t make any money from it.”
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
If they beat Liverpool this weekend, the Blues will qualify for the Conference League play-offs. They are currently 10th and any chance of qualifying for Europe through the league appears remote.
