Currently, the hottest topic in Montenegro’s football scene is the status of Budućnost Football Club.

As the reigning champion celebrating its centenary, the club is likely to miss out on participating in European competitions this year.

The main issue at hand is financial—specifically tax debts—despite the club having earned more than ten million euros in revenue over the last two years.

In addition to this debt, substantial commissions from player transfers, totaling two million and 300 thousand euros, are under scrutiny, with unofficial reports indicating an investigation by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office.

Due to a tax debt of 171 euros, Budućnost Football Club is expected to be denied a license to compete in European tournaments for the 2024/2025 season, coinciding with its 100th anniversary.

The FSCG Club Licensing Commission has denied Budućnost’s application for a UEFA license in the preliminary round, stating that the complete documentation submitted did not satisfy the financial requirements.

This somewhat ambiguous legal wording is tied directly to the debt owed to state authorities—the club was required to clear its debts by March 31, or provide valid documentation regarding debt restructuring.

The club’s management was tardy in addressing this.

Nonetheless, the club’s Business Report reveals that tax debts totaled 129,294 euros in 2024 and 41,775 euros in 2023.

While this is not a substantial amount, it raises eyebrows given the revenue generated since the summer of 2023 through various channels.

According to the club’s business insights, nearly seven million euros have been amassed from player transfers alone since the summer of 2023!

Noteworthy transfers include Vasilije Adžić to Juventus for five million and 230 thousand euros, Viktor Đukanović to Hammarby for one million and 100 thousand euros, and Vladimir Perišić to Slavia for 380 thousand euros.

Over the past two years, Budućnost has received more than three million and 700 thousand euros from European competition participations, alongside state and municipal subsidies—amounting to one million and 900 thousand in 2024, and one million and 800 thousand in 2023.

In total, revenues have exceeded ten million euros over the last two years, with just 171 thousand euros in tax debt needing to be settled—amounting to less than two percent of total revenues!

However, the picture regarding transfer revenues is more complicated, as the club’s Business Report indicates that agent and management commissions were unusually exorbitant.

For instance, the commission for Adžić’s transfer was nearly two million euros, while the total commission for Đukanović’s transfer was 310 thousand euros the previous year.

In total, management fees from these two significant transfers reached two million and 300 thousand euros.

As per FIFA’s 2023 regulations, the commission for agents representing the selling club is typically capped at ten percent of the transfer fee. In the cases of Adžić and Đukanović, this was almost thrice the standard rate.

Additionally, in 2024, the club faced significantly higher costs associated with player salaries and bonuses, allocating a total of two million and 150 thousand euros—almost a million euros more than in 2023. Worker salaries within the administration also surged from 156 to 330 and a half thousand euros.

Ultimately, when all calculations are made and all these figures and transactions are assessed, a lingering debt of 171 thousand euros remains, which is poised to impede Budućnost’s aspirations for European competition.

News