Chelsea has received a one-year suspended transfer ban along with a £10.75 million ($14 million) fine due to past violations of Premier League regulations.
The club has also been slapped with an immediate nine-month ban on academy transfers.
These penalties stem from information provided to the Premier League by a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly, following its acquisition of the club from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2022.
Despite the sanctions, Chelsea avoided any points deduction by acknowledging their breach of Premier League rules regarding over £47 million ($62 million) in undisclosed payments made during Abramovich’s ownership.
The Premier League discovered that between 2011 and 2018, third-party payments linked to the club were made to players, unregistered agents, and other third parties without proper disclosure.
However, the league concluded that had these payments been accurately reported in historical financial records, Chelsea would not have violated profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR).
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In determining Chelsea’s punishment, the Premier League considered the club’s “proactive self-reporting, acknowledgment of violations, and exceptional cooperation” as mitigating factors.
The Football Association has also charged Chelsea with 74 alleged breaches of its rules, related to the information provided by the new ownership to football authorities.
Regarding the settlement with the Premier League, Chelsea released a statement indicating, “The club voluntarily and proactively disclosed potential historical rule breaches, including incomplete financial reporting from over a decade ago.”
“Throughout a comprehensive Premier League investigation, the club shared thousands of documents and responded promptly to queries from the Premier League, aiding a thorough examination.”
“Additionally, during the investigation, the club received further evidence from a third party concerning possible breaches of Premier League regulations by a former employee regarding a limited number of historical academy transactions. This was also promptly reported to the Premier League.”
“From the start, the club has treated this situation with the utmost seriousness, fully cooperating with all relevant regulators.”
“The club appreciates the Premier League’s acknowledgment of its ‘exceptional cooperation’ and the recognition that ‘without these voluntary disclosures and self-reporting, several Premier League rule breaches might have gone unnoticed by the league’.”
The Premier League pointed out that undisclosed payments were made by entities associated with former owner Roman Abramovich to unlicensed agents and individuals involved in player transfers, including players like Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o, and Willian. These transactions were conducted with the “knowledge and approval” of senior Chelsea officials but were not properly documented.