AC Milan face Europa League ban

European football’s top financial investigators have recommended excluding Chinese-owned AC Milan from the Europa League next season for violating rules that limit spending, the New York Times reported on Friday.

According to the US daily newspaper, “two people involved in the process” have confirmed that UEFA investigators have recommended Milan be excluded from European competition for violating Financial Fair Play rules.

UEFA announced last week that the seven-time European champions had failed to convince officials they are financially sound and referred the case to the adjudicatory chamber of its financial control unit to recommend an appropriate punishment.

A decision is expected next week and according to the New York Times investigators “have recommended excluding .. AC Milan from continental competition”.

UEFA are concerned over AC Milan’s stability after it was purchased by Chinese businessman Li Yonghong from Silvio Berlusconi for 740 million euros ($918mn) in April last year.

The club also spent more than 200 million euros on new players in the summer and have a massive high interest loan of 300 million euros from US hedge fund Elliott Management.

Milan finished sixth in the Serie A last season and qualified for the second-tier Europa League for a second consecutive season missing out on the money-spinning Champions League.

If Milan were excluded they would become the highest profile club banished from Europe, following Spanish club Malaga, Red Star Belgrade and Turkey’s Galatasary who were banned for a year in the past for failing to meet financial criteria.