Barcelona loses appeal against fine of $542,000 for ‘wilfully and consciously’ misreporting income

By JAMES ROBSON The Associated Press

Barcelona will have to pay a fine of 500,000 euros ($542,000) after losing another appeal against a ruling by UEFA, which accused the Spanish club of “wilfully and consciously” misreporting income in a bid to comply with European soccer’s financial rules. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne dismissed Barcelona’s appeal and, in a highly-critical ruling published Friday, said the sanction of 500,000 euros was “actually rather mild.” The case stems from the way Barcelona handled its financial reporting of a deal it secured to sell off a percentage of its broadcast rights for the next 25 years, which UEFA said was “manifestly inaccurate and non-compliant” with its rules aimed at ensuring responsible spending among soccer clubs in Europe.