Chelsea have been charged by the Football Association with 74 alleged breaches of rules related to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022, the FA announced Thursday.
The governing body said the charges mainly concern the period from the 2010-11 season through 2015-16. The Premier League club has until Sept. 19 to respond.
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich famously transformed Chelsea after purchasing the west London club in 2003.
He sold the team in May 2022 to a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital.
Chelsea said in a statement that it 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 May 30, 2022,” the statement said.
“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.”
Chelsea said it had “demonstrated unprecedented transparency” and would continue working with the FA.
In July 2023, Chelsea reached a resolution with European football’s governing body, agreeing to hand over 10 million euros ($11.7 million) after acknowledging “incomplete financial reporting” under the Abramovich regime. UEFA said it had been “proactively” approached by Chelsea’s new ownership group with the information.
Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was described by ministers as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle but has denied financial ties to the Kremlin.
In June, the British government threatened the former Chelsea owner with legal action over the frozen $3.4 billion generated from the sale of the club. Ministers want the funds directed toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, but Abramovich insists they be used for all victims of the conflict, including in Russia.
