Chelsea FC have been fined £10.75 million by the Premier League and handed a one-year transfer ban that will remain suspended for two years following an investigation into undisclosed payments tied to player transfers during the club’s previous ownership.
Former owner Roman Abramovich, the Russian businessman who previously controlled the London club, was reported to have made covert payments between 2011 and 2018 that formed the basis of the sanctions.
The financial irregularities came to light during the due diligence process that preceded the purchase of the club by its current American ownership group in 2022.
According to the Premier League, the severity of the punishment was influenced by the new owners’ decision to report the transactions to football authorities once they discovered them.
The league noted Chelsea’s “proactive self-reporting” and “exceptional co-operation” throughout the investigation when determining the penalties.
Aside from the financial fine and the suspended transfer ban, the club has also been handed a nine-month ban on registering academy players, which takes effect immediately. The restriction relates to issues concerning the registration of youth players between 2019 and 2022.
Football regulators, including the The Football Association, the Premier League, and UEFA, require clubs to submit complete and accurate financial disclosures each year.
Investigators discovered several seven-figure payments made to offshore companies connected with player transfers that were not included in the financial records submitted to authorities at the time.
Reacting to the ruling, Chelsea said they “accept the terms of the settlement in full” and welcomed the league’s acknowledgment of the club’s cooperation during the investigation.
The club’s statement read: “Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm that the club has reached a settlement with the Premier League in relation to historical regulatory matters that were self-reported by the club in 2022.
“As previously announced, the club voluntarily and proactively disclosed to all applicable regulators potential historical rule breaches, including incomplete financial reporting that took place over a decade ago.
“During an extensive Premier League investigation, the club proactively disclosed many thousands of documents. Also, when requests for information were made by the Premier League, the club promptly provided comprehensive responses and facilitated all lines of inquiry to support a complex and extremely thorough process”, it added.
Some of the transfers examined during the investigation are believed to involve deals connected to players such as Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Andreas Christensen.
