Chelsea have been fined 31 million euros (£27 million) by UEFA for breaches of its financial rules, while Aston Villa, Barcelona and Lyon were also levied with large fines, UEFA announced on Friday. The punishments come with the potential for far harsher fines down the road, with Chelsea risking being hit with a further 60 million euros if they do not get their finances in order. Barcelona must pay a 15 million euro fine, with UEFA fining Lyon 12.5 million and Aston Villa five million. The teams agreed to settlement agreements which cover periods of two, three or four years, with the clubs’ final targets to be fully compliant with the football earnings rule by the end of their specific settlement period. Additionally, Lyon agreed on an exclusion from the 2025/26 UEFA club competitions should the French authority (DNCG) confirm the club’s relegation to Ligue 2.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has left Leicester City by mutual agreement after the club was relegated from the Premier League. The 48-year-old took over in November 2024, but couldn’t stop Leicester from dropping back to the Championship after one season. Leicester said the decision was made together and that Van Nistelrooy’s contract has ended immediately. “Ruud has overseen a challenging period for the club,” the statement read. It praised his professionalism and his role in promoting academy players to the first team. Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper and earned four points from his first two games. But things quickly turned bad. Leicester lost 15 of their next 16 matches, including nine straight home games without scoring. “I would like to personally thank the Leicester City players, coaches, academy and all the staff I have worked with for their professionalism and dedication during my time at the club,” Van Nistelrooy said. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker waited weeks to hold talks with the club’s board after relegation was confirmed. Leicester went down with Ipswich and Southampton. All three clubs had been promoted together the season before. Leicester will now start life back in the Championship against Sheffield Wednesday on August 10. The club could also face a points deduction after being charged with breaking financial rules.