Chelsea FC was hit yesterday with 74 charges of breaches of regulation by the Football Association in England, regarding investments from third parties, intermediaries, and player regulations. They happened between 2009 and 2022, the years where the club was owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
Abramovich's ownership brought unprecedented sporting triumphs for Chelsea, with five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two Champions League titles in 2012 and 2021 and two Europa League titles in 2013 and 2019. However, it also came with corruption: payments connected to transfers to offshore companies and players' families and representatives, not registered in accounts submitted to the FA or UEFA.
When the new ownership group took over the football club in the spring of 2022, when Abramovich sold the club after financial sanctions by the Western governments due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they immediately self-reported those "potential historical breaches" to the FA, the Premier League and UEFA.
"The club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club's files and historical data", Chelsea said in a statement on Thursday, confirming they were working with the FA regarding those charges.
Chelsea will pay a fine, but no point deduction
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea will not face point deduction. "My information is that it is not currently on the agenda. The reason it is not on the agenda is because this was self-reported. They've also cooperated fully with the investigation", says correspondent Kaven Solhekol. Instead, it will likely be a fine, similar to the settlement reached with UEFA.
He adds that Chelsea's own investigations prove that these breaches don't affect Financial Fair Play regulations.