Olympique de Marseille could face drastic sanctions from UEFA, including exclusion from next season’s Europa League, due to increasingly serious financial problems currently being investigated by Europe’s governing body.
According to initial information, Marseille is trying to fulfill the terms of the settlement agreement it signed with UEFA in 2022.
The club was subsequently fined a relatively small €2 million for breaching Financial Fair Play rules. In return, it pledged to bring its operations within the framework set by UEFA’s sustainability rules.
However, Marseille has been unable to halt the negative trend. According to data from the French financial watchdog (DNCG), the club has recorded a total net loss of almost 157 million euros over the past three seasons.
Losses have been steadily increasing: from 12.7 million euros in the 2022/23 season to 39.1 million euros in the 2023/24 season, reaching 105 million euros in the 2024/25 season.
UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body met in Nyon on Tuesday to review the cases of clubs operating under settlement agreements.
While Paris Saint-Germain is not considered at risk and no serious sanctions are expected for Olympique Lyonnais, the Marseille case is said to be considered one of the most problematic.
Unsuccessful defense and negative review
The club has tried to justify some of its financial difficulties by citing the decline in domestic television rights in France. Marseille hopes that UEFA will take into account these exceptional circumstances affecting French football when assessing their case.
Concerns within the club have been further deepened by a recent audit by consultancy firm Tifosy Capital. The report highlighted a number of problems, including an overstretched wage budget, high operating costs and further spending commitments in the near future.
