By Andrew Warshaw
December 3 – Despite being owned by Qatari investors and performing impressively in the Champions League, Malaga are facing UEFA sanctions for failing to pay millions of euros of players’ wages on time.
The Spanish club are one of nine that have been reported to UEFA by its Club Financial Control Body, the panel monitoring financial compliance, for unpaid bills.
Malaga (players pictured top), who qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare in their first season in the competition, have reportedly failed to pay players a combined €9 million (£7 million/$11 million).
They are due at least €25 million (£20 million/$33 million) in prize money, bonuses and a share of Spanish television revenues from UEFA but could now have some of that docked until they rectify the situation.
In September, UEFA published a list of 23 clubs under investigation who owed a combined €30 million (£24 million/$39 million) in so-called “overdue payables”.
Sixteen have now had the threat of losing prize money lifted after paying their debts to other teams, their own staff or tax authorities.
They include Europa League champion Atlético Madrid (pictured below), Sporting Lisbon and Fenerbahçe.
Malaga are the only Western European club among the nine cited in the updated list.
They are joined by Romanian clubs Dinamo and Rapid; Serbia’s Partizan and Vojvodina; Hajduk Split and Osijek of Croatia; plus Lech Poznań of Poland and Arsenal Kiev of Ukraine.
According to UEFA, Malaga failed to meet a deadline to clear overdue payments.
Their case has now been referred to UEFA’s adjudicatory chamber that has a range of sanctions available – including disqualification from current competitions.
A Malaga spokesman said the club were working to settle debts “as soon as possible” in order to “unblock” the situation.
UEFA has had a licensing system for almost a decade but need for clubs to balance the books has gained a higher profile after the introduction of financial fair play.
Since 2011, UEFA has been monitoring clubs’ finances far more rigidly and now requires them to aim towards breaking even as a condition of entry for both the Champions League and Europa League.
Clubs could face exclusion from European competition from 2014-15 onwards if they do not curb their losses on a sliding scale.
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