UEFA Confirm Final Verdict on Chelsea’s Champions League Financial Breach

UEFA have confirmed Chelsea have avoided further sanctions relating to the cost of their Champions League squad.

The Blues were fined a total of €31 million (£26.9 million, $36.1 million) back in July after being found to have breached regulations relating to excessive spending and overall squad costs, with a further €60 million sanction threatened if Chelsea did not reduce the cost of their European squad this summer.

Chelsea needed to report a positive transfer balance from players registered in last season’s ‘List A’ from their Conference League registration. Sales of unregistered and fringe players, such as João Félix, Carney Chukwuemeka and Renato Veiga, did not count towards the balance.

Fortunately for Chelsea, they did manage to negotiate exits for a number of their ‘List A’ players. Noni Madueke, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christopher Nkunku, Mathis Amougou and Nicolas Jackson all departed the club, helping Chelsea meet UEFA’s pre-agreed requirements.

A UEFA statement (via the Daily Mail’s Kieran Gill) read: “The squad list submitted fulfilled the criteria of the settlement agreement and it was therefore already reviewed and approved before publication on UEFA's website.”

By reaching a positive balance, Chelsea were then freed to register all their new signings in what ended up as a 23-man European squad.

Chelsea’s 2025–26 Champions League Squad

Goalkeepers: Robert Sánchez, Filip Jörgensen

Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Jorell Hato, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana

Midfielders: Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens, Dário Essugo, Andrey Santos, Moisés Caicedo

Forwards: Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, João Pedro, Marc Guiu, Estêvão, Alejandro Garnacho

Among those not included in the primary squad, Roméo Lavia, Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong are all eligible to play after being included on ‘List B’, which is reserved for players 21 and under who have been at the club for at least two years. This list is flexible and can be regularly updated throughout the season to give academy players the chance to feature.

Third-choice goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina is not included but, perhaps most surprisingly, there is no place for Deadline Day signing Facundo Buonanotte. The Brighton & Hove Albion loanee, who spoke of his excitement towards playing in the Champions League upon his arrival earlier this week, has not been included in the group.

Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana, all of whom remain at Stamford Bridge after failing to seal summer moves away from the club, have all been left out as well.