Chelsea FC is facing a massive fine after the Football Association (FA) announced today that the club has been hit with 74 charges for breaking agent rules during the Roman Abramovich era. The charges, which span a period from 2009 to 2022, primarily relate to events that occurred between the 2010-11 and 2015-16 playing seasons.
In a statement, the FA confirmed the charges, citing breaches of several regulations, including those concerning Football Agent regulations, Working with Intermediaries, and Third-Party Investment in Players. “In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC,” the statement read.
The charges are understood to be linked to deals for overseas-based players and not for any domestic signings. The club’s managers during the period under investigation included prominent figures such as Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo, Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, and Gus Hiddink. During this time, the club won the Champions League, Europa League, and all three major domestic trophies.
A key aspect of the charges is that payments were reportedly made directly to intermediaries and not processed through the club’s official accounts. This meant the payments were not included in Chelsea’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) calculations for the years in question.
Ironically, a major accountancy firm brought in by the current Chelsea board to investigate the matter found that even if these payments had been included, the club would still not have breached their PSR limits.
Chelsea has been given until September 19, 2025, to respond to the charges.
Source: ESPN