Chelsea hit with 74 charges for alleged rule breaches during Roman Abramovich era

Chelsea have been charged by the Football Association in relation to agents, intermediaries and third party investments. The charges are said to have come throughout the tenure of former owner Roman Abramovich, who was at the Blues from 2003 to 2022. Abramovich sold Chelsea after 19 years of his stewardshipGetty A statement read: “The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of the FA Third Party Investment in Player Regulations. “In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC. “The conduct that is the subject of the charges ranges from 2009 to 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 playing seasons. “Chelsea FC has until 19 September to respond.” A Chelsea statement said: “Chelsea FC is pleased to confirm that its engagement with The FA concerning matters that were self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion. “The Club’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on 30 May 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules. “Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the Club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including The FA. “The Club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the Club’s files and historical data. We will continue working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible. “We wish to place on record our gratitude to The FA for their engagement with the Club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago. talkSPORT understands these are historical charges that were self-reported by Chelsea throughout the due diligence that occurred before the Boehly-Clearlake takeover in 2022. Boehly has been transparent with the FA throughout the processGetty The majority of the breaches span between 2010 and 2016. Whilst Chelsea have opened up their books to the FA, the Premier League are also running a concurrent investigation. The main issue relates to incorrect reporting of agent payments, with Chelsea hiring one of the biggest accountancy firms to help analyse the breaches. They do not believe there has been any sporting advantage and will argue that no sporting sanction is necessary. Punishment can range from a fine, to a settlement and to a sporting sanction, with the Boehly-Clearlake ownership being very transparent in alerting the relevant authorities about the breaches. talkSPORT understands the club have been negotiating a financial settlement with the FA in recent months to avoid a possible sporting sanction. Chelsea are looking to agree on a financial settlementGetty However, this has already been met with backlash from their Premier League rivals, who feel rich clubs should not be able to ‘buy their way’ out of points deductions. How talkSPORT reacted to the Chelsea charges On White and Jordan, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said: “It was coming, wasn’t it? They’re not alleged. “They declared them themselves, Todd Boehly volunteered that information so they pretty much detailed it themselves, which will account in their favour in terms of the sentencing that they will get. “I mean, I say sentencing, the consequences that they will get for those actions, because obviously you’re visiting the son… Sins of the father and an unwilling son, because they’ve obviously got different ownership now. “But the football club exists in perpetuity so there will be consequences as a result of those transgressions. “There will be mitigation, because they’re not defending it, they’re the ones that brought it to their attention, and they’re not pushing back against it. Chelsea self-reported the charges as part of due diligence before the 2022 takeoverGetty “So, what will the consequences be? I will assume financial.” When asked if current owners should be punished for any past transgressions, Jordan replied: “Chelsea is Chelsea. Chelsea are judged by the highest standards and as John Terry turned around and said, Chelsea expect to be in the mix to win things because Chelsea is Chelsea. “Well, Chelsea haven’t been folded down and turned into something else, and come back completely different. It occupies the same space, it’s the same football club, it just has a different owner. So, everyone has to take the consequences of the actions of the previous regime. “Boehly and his gang volunteered this information, they will have provided for it in their purchase price, so they will hold back some

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Chelsea hit with 74 charges for alleged rule breaches during Roman Abramovich era

Chelsea have been charged by the Football Association in relation to agents, intermediaries and third party investments.

The charges are said to have come throughout the tenure of former owner Roman Abramovich, who was at the Blues from 2003 to 2022.

Abramovich sold Chelsea after 19 years of his stewardship

A statement read: “The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of the FA Third Party Investment in Player Regulations.

“In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC.

“The conduct that is the subject of the charges ranges from 2009 to 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 playing seasons.

“Chelsea FC has until 19 September to respond.”

A Chelsea statement said: “Chelsea FC is pleased to confirm that its engagement with The FA concerning matters that were self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion.

“The Club’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on 30 May 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules.

“Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the Club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including The FA.

“The Club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the Club’s files and historical data. We will continue working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible.

“We wish to place on record our gratitude to The FA for their engagement with the Club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago.

talkSPORT understands these are historical charges that were self-reported by Chelsea throughout the due diligence that occurred before the Boehly-Clearlake takeover in 2022.

Boehly has been transparent with the FA throughout the process

The majority of the breaches span between 2010 and 2016.

Whilst Chelsea have opened up their books to the FA, the Premier League are also running a concurrent investigation.

The main issue relates to incorrect reporting of agent payments, with Chelsea hiring one of the biggest accountancy firms to help analyse the breaches.

They do not believe there has been any sporting advantage and will argue that no sporting sanction is necessary.

Punishment can range from a fine, to a settlement and to a sporting sanction, with the Boehly-Clearlake ownership being very transparent in alerting the relevant authorities about the breaches.

talkSPORT understands the club have been negotiating a financial settlement with the FA in recent months to avoid a possible sporting sanction.

Chelsea are looking to agree on a financial settlement

However, this has already been met with backlash from their Premier League rivals, who feel rich clubs should not be able to ‘buy their way’ out of points deductions.

How talkSPORT reacted to the Chelsea charges

On White and Jordan, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said: “It was coming, wasn’t it? They’re not alleged.

“They declared them themselves, Todd Boehly volunteered that information so they pretty much detailed it themselves, which will account in their favour in terms of the sentencing that they will get.

“I mean, I say sentencing, the consequences that they will get for those actions, because obviously you’re visiting the son… Sins of the father and an unwilling son, because they’ve obviously got different ownership now.

“But the football club exists in perpetuity so there will be consequences as a result of those transgressions.

“There will be mitigation, because they’re not defending it, they’re the ones that brought it to their attention, and they’re not pushing back against it.

Chelsea self-reported the charges as part of due diligence before the 2022 takeover

“So, what will the consequences be? I will assume financial.”

When asked if current owners should be punished for any past transgressions, Jordan replied: “Chelsea is Chelsea.

Chelsea are judged by the highest standards and as John Terry turned around and said, Chelsea expect to be in the mix to win things because Chelsea is Chelsea.

“Well, Chelsea haven’t been folded down and turned into something else, and come back completely different. It occupies the same space, it’s the same football club, it just has a different owner. So, everyone has to take the consequences of the actions of the previous regime.

“Boehly and his gang volunteered this information, they will have provided for it in their purchase price, so they will hold back some money from the Abramovich situation. Where that money is, no one knows. It seems to be sat in the ether, doesn’t it?

“That money hasn’t been released, so there will be some sort of contingency in there that’s held back. So if it’s financial, it won’t cost Boehly and his guys anything, it will cost Roman Abramovich something, or where that money was due to go.”