They wanted to ban us — Barcelona president opens up on struggles with UEFA

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has sensationally revealed that UEFA considered banning the Catalan giants from the Champions League following their repeated breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Blaugrana were fined €15 million after a second successive violation, but Laporta insists the punishment could have been far worse if not for intense negotiations with Europe’s governing body.

Speaking during Barcelona’s Ordinary General Assembly, Laporta explained that UEFA had initially pushed for a harsh sporting sanction. The club had already been fined €500,000 in 2024, but this latest breach triggered far deeper concerns at UEFA headquarters.

“UEFA wanted to punish us by not playing in the Champions League the following season,” Laporta said, adding, “And precisely the fact that Barcelona is not a SA and cannot make capital increases was one of the arguments with which we managed to get UEFA to reduce the fines for non-compliance with financial fair play, from €60m to €15m. They also wanted to sanction us without playing in the next Champions League.”

Laporta credited his legal and financial teams for avoiding what would have been a devastating sporting blow.

Missing the Champions League would have further strained Barça’s finances, which are already under pressure from years of high spending, deferred wages, and limited player sales.

Beyond the UEFA crisis, Laporta also addressed the club’s upcoming fixture against Villarreal in the United States; a match that has divided opinion within the club hierarchy. While acknowledging the discomfort of sending the team abroad mid-season, Laporta admitted that the financial benefits made the trip impossible to refuse.

“We are not enthusiastic about taking our team far, but as President Gaspart said, it is necessary to obtain atypical income,” he explained. “Promoting our image in the markets has allowed us to have more sponsors. And we will surely take advantage of the opportunity to expand our image in the US, an increasingly important market where it also plays the next World Cup.”

Laporta added that both sporting director Deco and head coach Hansi Flick share concerns about player fatigue but understand the financial logic behind the decision.

“They go to Saudi Arabia to earn money that otherwise would not be earned. And in Miami, exactly the same,” he said. “La Liga will benefit, and with it all the other teams, but Barça and Villarreal, who are the ones who play, will benefit more.”