The FC Chelsea faces a possible association penalty in England. After a voluntary disclosure of the club, the English Football Association (FA) Chelsea complains in 74 cases – the consequences of the Abramowitsch era.
The charges concern the FA According to irregularities in player transfers in 2009 to 2022. Chelsea has time to react to the indictment by September 19.
All offenses fall into the time when the Russian billionaire Roman Abramowitsch led the club. Abramowitsch bought Chelsea in 2003. In 2022, however, he transferred the control to a trustee after Western governments imposed sanctions against oligarchs from Russia due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. On May 30, 2022, the American investor consortium bought Blueco the club.
Self -disclosure led to the indictment
The new club owners from the USA had reported the irregularities themselves, as the club announced. As part of exams before buying the club, the new group of owners “Potentially incomplete financial reports on transactions from the past and other potential violations of FA rules aware”. Therefore, this was reported to all responsible bodies immediately after the purchase.
Chelsea made it clear that one hopes for a less hard punishment: “The club has proven unprecedented transparency during this process, among other things through the granting of comprehensive access to the files and historical data.” The club promised to continue working closely with the association, “To complete this matter as soon as possible”.
The dilemma: A specially appointed commission should now decide on the punishment and may have to sanction a club guidance that is not responsible for the offenses. Abramowitsch and Chelseas used to be responsible for transfers, director Marina Granovskaia are no longer active in football and cannot be punished by the association.
Secret payments, Unregistered mediators
Among other things, Chelsea are accused of secret payments to player brokers. In addition, the club is said to have used non -registered agents and have submitted false or incomplete documents. “Essentially” According to the English Association, the allegations refer to “To events that have occurred between seasons 2010/11 and 2015/16.”
During this period, prominent players came to the club, such as Samuel Eto’o, Willian or Eden Hazard. With the secret payments, the club is said to have cut off the competition at the transfers. The newspaper “Times” according to Manchester United Eden Hazard signed, but refused payments on how to make Chelsea. Hazard was used for Chelsea in 352 competitive games and scored 110 goals before moving to Real Madrid.
Payments would be in the rules of the English financial regulations and the Financial FairPlays the UEFA flowed. Hazard’s advisor at the time is currently on the dock due to other financial offenses in Belgium. There is no indication that Hazard knew about the demand of his agent or was involved in misconduct.
With Willian and Eto’o, according to “Times”, the allegations refer to undeclared payments Offshore-Companies to the Russian club Aufi Machhathatzkala beyond transfer fees.
Chelsea from UEFA punished several times
Chelsea has already been punished several times by UEFA. In 2023, the club had to pay a penalty of 10 million euros because the club had violated the rules of the Financial FairPlay in 2018 and 2019.
The club also currently lives financially on edge. In July, the UEFA financial control chamber decided that Chelsea must have a positive transfer balance from the current season due to regulations from the current season to at least 2027. In addition, the club had to pay a fine of at least 20 million.
Chelsea recently had loopholes in the UEFA and the Premier League used. Contract duration of eight years in order to be able to copy costs for longer or the sale of a club’s own hotel and the team of women to their own investor were included.