UEFA could kick AC Milan out of Europe
Reports in Spain claim that Italian giants AC Milan could be facing a huge blow, with UEFA considering banning them from European competitions.
This comes after the club's CEO Marco Fassone largely failed to convince UEFA bigwigs of the viability of the club's summer spending.
AC spent over €200m during the summer, bringing in the likes of Anrea Conti, Andre Silva, Ricardo Rodriguez, Hakan Calhanoglu and Leonardo Bonucci, but according to 'Marca', there are concerns that such spending may be a breach of Financial Fair Play.
Should UEFA deem the spending to have breached the protocol, they will be free to impose sanctions, which could include a substantial fine and ban from European competitions.
AC Milan's new owners are shrouded in mystery, with Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux having paid €740m for the club last season. However, UEFA understands that AC's investment has been made based on future success, namely Champions League qualification, something which is by no means certain, meaning that the club cannot guarantee the solvency of their current project.
Recently, 'The New York Times' reported that joint-owner of AC Milan, Yonghong Li, had in fact lied during his purchase of the club and had no mining business at all, let alone on of the scale described to Serie A officials. Mr Li's status as a renowned business man is also disputed, with the suggestion being that he does not have anywhere near as much money as previously claimed.
Now, UEFA could kick AC out of Europe, just as the 'Rossneri' were dreaming of returning to the biggest stage in club football.