Chelsea Football Club is facing 74 charges from the Football Association related to alleged breaches of financial regulations, particularly around payments to agents, intermediaries, and third-party investment in player transfers.
The alleged violations span a 13-year period from 2009 to 2022, with the majority occurring between the 2010-11 and 2015-16 seasons during Roman Abramovich’s ownership.
Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who took control of Chelsea in 2003, sold the club in 2022 to a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
The sale came amid UK Government sanctions against Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was accused of having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin—an allegation he has repeatedly denied.
The FA confirmed that the charges focus on historical financial activity, particularly undisclosed payments involving agents and potential violations of third-party ownership regulations. Chelsea has until 19 September to respond to the allegations.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, the club’s cooperation with authorities may work in its favour. Chelsea stated that the alleged breaches were discovered internally and voluntarily reported after the new ownership conducted a review of past financial dealings.
“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,” Chelsea said.
“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.”
Potential penalties range from financial fines to transfer bans and even points deductions, though no specific outcome has been confirmed.
This is not the first time Chelsea has faced scrutiny over financial matters. In July 2023, UEFA fined the club £8.6 million for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations. That penalty was also linked to incomplete financial information submitted between 2012 and 2019—issues uncovered and reported by the new ownership.
Separate investigations by the Premier League are ongoing, with particular attention on the 2013 transfers of Samuel Eto’o and Willian from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, deals completed under Abramovich’s tenure.
Life After Chelsea for Abramovich
Since his departure from the club, Abramovich has kept a low profile. He was sanctioned by the UK Government in March 2022 over alleged connections to the Kremlin, resulting in asset freezes and restrictions on financial dealings. However, he was granted a special licence to proceed with the Chelsea sale, under the condition that he would not profit from the transaction.
Abramovich pledged that proceeds from the £2.5 billion sale would be donated to a foundation aimed at helping victims of the war in Ukraine, including those in Russia. To date, the funds remain frozen in a UK bank account and legally belong to Abramovich, but he cannot access them.
In 2023, leaked documents published by the BBC linked Abramovich to a secret £26 million deal from 2010, allegedly involving two individuals described as “wallets” of Putin. Abramovich has denied any financial links to the Russian president.
Earlier this year, the UK Government reportedly considered legal action to ensure the Chelsea sale proceeds would be directed exclusively to Ukrainian humanitarian causes, rather than to a broader group of “all victims of the war” as originally suggested by Abramovich.
Adding to the intrigue, reports in March 2022 claimed that Abramovich was suspected of being poisoned during peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Belarus. The businessman, who made his fortune in oil and gas, was said to be acting as an informal mediator during the early stages of the conflict.
