Chelsea Football Club is facing a storm after the Football Association slammed the Premier League giants with 74 charges of financial misconduct spanning more than a decade. The alleged violations involve hidden payments to agents, intermediaries, and questionable third-party investments in players between 2009 and 2022.
Most of the charges stem from the 2010–11 to 2015–16 seasons, a period when Chelsea was under the ownership of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Abramovich, who bought the club in 2003, was forced to sell in 2022 to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital after being sanctioned by the UK government over alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claims he has consistently denied.
Chelsea has until September 19 to formally respond to the FA but stressed that the new ownership uncovered the discrepancies during due diligence before buying the club. In a statement, Chelsea said it immediately self-reported the issues to the FA and other regulators and has provided “exceptional transparency,” granting investigators full access to historical records.
Potential penalties could be severe, ranging from hefty fines and transfer bans to possible points deductions, which could shake the club’s future in both domestic and European competitions.
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This is not Chelsea’s first run-in with financial authorities. In July 2023, UEFA fined the Blues £8.6 million for breaching Financial Fair Play rules after submitting incomplete financial information between 2012 and 2019. Transfers involving high-profile signings Samuel Eto’o and Willian, both from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, are also under investigation by the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Abramovich’s legacy continues to loom large. The £2.5 billion proceeds from his forced Chelsea sale remain frozen in a UK bank account. A BBC investigation in 2023 further alleged that Abramovich had links to individuals described as “wallets” for Putin, reigniting controversy around his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The FA’s case now threatens to become one of the most explosive legal battles in Premier League history, placing Chelsea under intense scrutiny as the investigation unfolds.
