Chelsea hit with transfer ban and £10m fine over historical rule-breaking

Chelsea have been given a suspended transfer ban
Chelsea have been given a suspended transfer banJP Fletcher / Actionplus / Profimedia

Chelsea have been given a suspended one-window transfer ban and fined £10.75 million for historical breaches of Premier League rules, it has been announced.

“The Premier League has concluded two separate disciplinary processes involving Chelsea Football Club, following the club voluntarily self-reporting potential historical breaches of rules,” a league statement said.

“Two sanction agreements have been ratified by an independent commission under which Chelsea FC has accepted fines totalling £10.75m for breaches of the Premier League’s rules relating to financial reporting, third-party investment and youth development.

“The club has been sanctioned by the Premier League with an immediate nine-month academy transfer ban and a suspended one-year first-team player transfer ban (suspended for two years).”

The sanctions relate to information shared with the league by the consortium led by Todd Boehly following their takeover of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in 2022. 

The breaches occurred between 2011 and 2018, during Abramovich’s ownership of the London club. Payments by third parties associated with Chelsea were made to players, unregistered agents and others but were not disclosed to the Premier League.

The league said the payments benefited Chelsea but added that, even if they had been included in the club’s historical financial submissions, the club would not have breached the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

Officials also cited Chelsea’s 'proactive self-reporting, admissions of breach and exceptional co-operation' as mitigating factors in determining the sanctions. 

Chelsea have also been charged by England's Football Association (FA) with 74 alleged breaches of the governing body’s rules in connection with the same information shared by the club’s new owners.