Chelsea and other European clubs will no longer be able to spread a transfer fee across more than five years of a player’s initial contract after UEFA closed a loophole in its regulations. The Blues have signed a number of players on lengthy deals over the last two transfer windows, including handing eight-and-a-half-year contracts to Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk in January. The transfer fees are then spread evenly over the course of that contract, meaning the longer it is, the smaller the annual payments recorded on the club’s accounts. For instance, a £100million fee would be amortised at £20million a year with a five-year contract, but at only £12.5m a year if a deal was eight years. There is still nothing in the rules – which come into force from July 1 – preventing a club from spreading the cost by extending a contract, but for amortisation purposes that extension itself could not be for more than five years either. Clubs can still sign players to longer contracts if their national associations allow it, but the cost of the transfer fee must be amortised over the first five years unless the contract is extended. UEFA said the new regulations would not apply to deals already done, but would “ensure equal treatment of all clubs and improve financial sustainability”. European football’s governing body has also moved to prevent clubs colluding to inflate the value of players for accounting purposes. This follows the capital gains scandal involving clubs in Italy, which led to the entire Juventus board resigning in November last year. Clubs must assess whether a transaction counts as a straight swap, in which case it must be accounted for in line with international standards. International Accounting Standard (IAS) 38 states that if it is not possible to calculate the fair value of a player, profit on a sale cannot be recognised. UEFA confirmed Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade Stadium would host the 2025 Women’s Champions League final, and announced plans for a minimum standards framework for women’s national teams to ensure equality of player welfare standards and travel and training conditions. UEFA said the detail would be announced in due course. The 2024 and 2025 Europa Conference League finals are set to be staged in Athens and Wroclaw in Poland respectively. The Athens venue is a new arena, so will be assessed during AEK Athens’ European competition matches and Greece’s Euro qualifiers before being confirmed officially in December. Europe’s third-tier men’s club competition will be rebranded as the UEFA Conference League from 2024-25, dropping the word ‘Europa’ from its title following research among fans and commercial partners to further distinguish it from the Europa League. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jonny Bairstow steals the show at Lord’s – Wednesday’s sporting social Everton to consult with fans about potential midseason stadium switch in 2024-25 Josh Tongue enjoys taste of Ashes but Australia in control at Lord’s

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Leeds have appointed former Celtic head of football operations Nick Hammond as “interim football advisor on a short-term contract”. Hammond, 55, will help Leeds with their summer recruitment plans as they continue their search for a permanent director of football. The club said: “Leeds United are pleased to confirm the appointment of Nick Hammond as the club’s interim football advisor on a short-term contract. “Hammond will help support the club during the summer transfer window. “The experienced 55-year-old, former director of football at Reading and head of football operations at Celtic, worked in a similar consultancy role at Newcastle United. “The process for finding a new, permanent, director of football at Leeds United is under way and the club aim to complete this process by October, allowing the successful candidate to focus on the January transfer window.” Former Swindon and Reading goalkeeper Hammond spent 13 years as Reading’s first director of football from 2003 and was West Brom’s technical director before becoming Celtic’s head of football operations in 2019. Leeds parted company with former director of football Victor Orta by mutual consent last month, shortly before being relegated from the Premier League. They are also in the hunt for a new head coach after Sam Allardyce, appointed with four games remaining, left Elland Road earlier this month. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live