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Chelsea fined £10.75m, with a one-year transfer ban suspended by Premier League
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Breaches occurred between 2011-2018 involving undisclosed payments to players and agents
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Deals included signings of Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Ramires, Andre Schurrle, and Nemanja Matic
The Premier League announced that Chelsea has received fines totaling £10.75 million ($14.3 million) and a suspended one-year ban on player signings for breaching financial rules under the previous ownership of Roman Abramovich.
The sanctions followed Chelsea’s disclosure of potential violations to the Football Association, which came to light in 2022 when American investors Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital purchased the club for £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion).
The violations involved “financial reporting, third-party investment, and youth development,” according to the Premier League.
It was determined that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments made by third parties linked to the club went to players and unregistered agents, which were not reported to the regulatory authorities, including the Premier League.
The payments to unregistered agents exceeded £23 million ($30 million) and were associated with notable signings like Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Ramires, Andre Schurrle, and Nemanja Matic.
The league stated that these payments benefited Chelsea and should have been accounted for by the club.
Such actions were viewed as a breach of the requirement to act in good faith towards the league.
Chelsea accepted the fine, which was confirmed by an independent commission, resulting in an immediate nine-month ban on academy transfers and a suspended one-year ban for first-team players.
No points deduction was issued for the violations.
The club expressed satisfaction with the settlement, stating it has treated the matter seriously and cooperated fully with regulators.
The Premier League noted Chelsea’s proactive approach in reporting breaches and cooperating during the investigation, which helped in reducing the fine significantly.
It also mentioned that if the payments had been correctly reported, Chelsea would have not violated the league’s profitability and sustainability rules during that period.
Other Financial Sanctions Against Chelsea
Since the new ownership took over, Chelsea has faced multiple fines from UEFA for financial breaches.
In 2023, they paid UEFA a fine of €10 million (about $11.8 million) for irregularities occurring under Abramovich, who sold the club amid the Ukraine conflict. This was also self-reported by Chelsea.
Last year, the club received a fine of €20 million (around $23.6 million) for failing to meet break-even requirements and an additional fine of €11 million ($13 million) for exceeding the 80% limit of revenue on “squad costs” like transfers and wages.
A separate investigation by the Football Association is still ongoing regarding the same breaches for which Chelsea has been punished by the Premier League.