Chelsea find themselves in a concerning position after being charged with 74 breaches of FA rules and regulations.
The Blues, who are no strangers to receiving punishments from governing bodies, are facing charges spanning over a decade and relating to the ownership of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea’s charges cover the period between 2009 and 2022 but are primarily focused on instances which occurred between the 2010–11 and 2015–16 campaigns.
Here’s the latest regarding Chelsea’s alleged breaches.
Why Have Chelsea Been Charged by the FA?
Chelsea have been charged by the FA for allegedly breaching rules relating to agents, intermediaries and third-party investments during the Abramovich era.
An FA statement read: “The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of The FA Third Party Investment in Players Regulations.
“In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC. The conduct that is the subject of the charges ranges from 2009 to 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 playing seasons.
“Chelsea FC has until 19 September 2025 to respond.”
The club’s present owners, BlueCo, uncovered the aforementioned financial problems when taking over the club in 2022 and swiftly self-reported the issues to the FA, Premier League and UEFA.
Sky Sports News have revealed that transfers for Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Willian were among those that “raised potential concerns”, with alleged breaches connected to “transfers to offshore companies and players’ families and representatives“ that were not registered in official accounts.
They report that Chelsea have been fully co-operating with investigations and that the club’s current owners withheld £100 million ($135.4 million) of the £2.5 billion they paid for the Blues in 2022 to account for “unforeseen liabilities”.
How Have Chelsea Responded?
Chelsea’s response reads: “Chelsea FC is pleased to confirm that its engagement with The FA concerning matters that were self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion.
“The club’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on 30 May 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules. Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the Club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including The FA.
“The club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club's files and historical data. We will continue working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible. We wish to place on record our gratitude to The FA for their engagement with the club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago.”
Possible Punishments for Chelsea
Chelsea have already agreed an £8.6 million fine with UEFA and The Guardian revealed back in January that a financial punishment from the Premier League is most likely for the Blues. It is claimed that Chelsea are “confident” their self-reporting will see them avoid a points deduction or transfer ban.
While such sporting punishments cannot yet be ruled out, it appears increasingly probable that Chelsea will be hit with a financial penalty from the FA instead due to the fact that the club’s new owners have co-operated with investigations and were not responsible for the alleged breaches.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Have Chelsea Been Charged by the FA?.