- FA charges Chelsea with 74 rule breaches over agent payments from 2009 to 2022.
- Current owners say they self-reported the issues after taking over in 2022.
- Club had earlier paid UEFA €10 million for incomplete past financial reporting.
The Football Association (FA) has levelled 74 charges against Chelsea FC, citing breaches in rules related to payments made to football agents over a span of 13 years.
Eko Hot Blog confirms that according to the FA, most of the alleged violations occurred between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 seasons. Chelsea has until September 19, 2025, to formally respond to the charges.
EDITOR’S PICK
- ‘Misappropriation of funds!’ EFCC Grills Mele Kyari
- Tinubu Orders Swift Action to Cut Food Prices Nationwide
- Three Candidates PDP is Considering For Presidential Ticket
The irregularities came to light following a financial review by the club’s new owners.
The club was sold by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich in May 2022 to a group led by American investor Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
In a statement, Chelsea acknowledged the FA’s investigation and said it was approaching conclusion.
The club stated:
“The current ownership took over on May 30, 2022. During a thorough review before the deal was finalized, we discovered possible gaps in past financial reports and other areas that might have breached FA regulations.
Once the sale was completed, we immediately reported these findings to all the appropriate authorities, including the FA.”
Chelsea added that it has shown “an unmatched level of openness” throughout the process and remains committed to cooperating with the FA.
In 2023, Chelsea also reached a separate agreement with UEFA, paying €10 million (around ₦10.4 billion) after admitting to incomplete financial records during Abramovich’s time in charge.
UEFA confirmed that the initiative to come clean came from the club’s current leadership.
Abramovich, who took over Chelsea in 2003 and oversaw its rise to the top of European football, was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 due to alleged ties to the Russian government following the invasion of Ukraine claims he has denied.
The UK government is also in a standoff with Abramovich over the frozen £2.5 billion raised from Chelsea’s sale.
While officials want the money to support Ukraine, Abramovich insists it should help all victims of the war, regardless of nationality.
FURTHER READING
