Chelsea fined £10m, handed transfer ban over secret agent payments

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Chelsea have been fined £10 million and handed a suspended two-window transfer ban after admitting to 74 breaches of Football Association rules relating to secret payments made to agents and third parties during the Roman Abramovich era.

According to the BBC, the sanctions, announced by the FA on Friday, conclude a lengthy investigation triggered after the club’s current owners, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, voluntarily reported the historical breaches following their takeover of Chelsea in May 2022.

The FA said Chelsea admitted making £47 million in undisclosed payments to unregistered agents and third parties in connection with player transfers completed between 2011 and 2018.

An Independent Regulatory Commission initially imposed a six-point deduction, suspended until June 30, 2027, alongside the £10m fine. However, following an appeal by the club, the suspended points deduction was overturned and replaced with a two-window registration ban, which has also been suspended until June 30, 2027.

The £10m fine remains in place and will be invested into grassroots football across England.

According to reports, the transfers investigated are believed to include deals involving former Chelsea stars Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Willian, all completed during Abramovich’s ownership.

The FA confirmed it is continuing to investigate potential individual misconduct arising from the case.

Chelsea said the outcome brings all outstanding regulatory matters linked to the self-reported historical breaches to an end.

“Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm that a final decision has been reached by The FA’s judicial bodies in relation to historical regulatory matters that were self-reported by the club,” the club said in a statement.

The Blues added that they had worked “openly and transparently” with regulators, voluntarily providing thousands of documents throughout the investigations.

The latest punishment follows previous sanctions imposed on the Premier League club. In March, Chelsea received a nine-month academy transfer ban and a £750,000 fine over breaches relating to academy player registrations between 2019 and 2022. The club also agreed a €10 million settlement with UEFA in 2023 over incomplete financial reporting during Abramovich’s ownership.

With the FA’s disciplinary process now complete, Chelsea said it considers all regulatory proceedings connected to the historical issues officially closed.

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