Chelsea fined £10m and handed suspended transfer ban for breaching FA’s agent rules

Chelsea have been fined £10m and given a suspended two-window transfer ban by an independent appeal board after admitting breaches of Football Association agent rules, the FA has announced.

The FA appeal board’s written reasons reveals Chelsea “plainly disregarded” the rules and made undisclosed payments to agents or third-parties when signing players such as the Brazilian forward Willian and striker Samuel Eto’o during that time.

Chelsea self-reported the breaches and the FA’s independent appeal board found a suspended points deduction was ‘excessive’ (Getty)

In 2022, after Abramovich was forced into selling Chelsea to BlueCo following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the club’s new owners became aware of historic instances of potential rule-breaking during its due diligence process and self-reported the breaches. The club admitted to all 74 breaches but an independent regulatory commission imposed a six-point deduction, suspended until 2027, as well as a £10m fine.

Chelsea have successfully appealed against the six-point penalty, which was instead replaced by the suspended two-window transfer ban. The club said on Friday that it welcomed the FA’s verdict, although the FA will continue to investigate “individual misconduct arising out of this case”.

Chelsea were separately fined £10.75m and handed a suspended transfer ban in March after reaching a settlement with the Premier League over the same historical breaches, relating to secret payments to players and unlicensed agents during transfers dealings 2011 and 2018.

In 2023, Chelsea also reached a £8.6m settlement with Uefa for “submitting incomplete financial information” between 2012 and 2019. It means the club have been fined a total £29.35m in three different investigations since reporting the breaches to the FA, the Premier League and Uefa. Chelsea also confirmed that the FA’s punishment “brings all regulatory proceedings against the club to a close”.

Chelsea have now concluded hearings with the Premier League, FA, and Uefa (PA)

A club statement said: “Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm that a final decision has been reached by The FA’s judicial bodies in relation to historical regulatory matters that were self-reported by the club.

“In 2022, the club self-reported potential historical rule breaches to all applicable regulators. Following that report, it has worked openly and transparently with all regulators, including voluntarily and proactively disclosing many thousands of documents.

“As previously announced, settlement agreements have been entered into with Uefa and the Premier League concerning the same self-reported regulatory matters and topics that have been addressed before.

“The club is pleased to confirm that, now The FA process has concluded, this brings all regulatory proceedings against the club to a close. We are grateful to Uefa, the Premier League and The FA for their engagement with the club throughout these processes.”

In its written reasons, the FA’s independent regulatory commission found that, despite admitting to the breaches, Chelsea did not gain an “actual sporting advantage” and determined that “a sporting sanction of a points deduction, albeit suspended, was an excessive sanction”.

Under Abramovich’s 19-year ownership, between 2003 and 2022, Chelsea won 21 major trophies, including two Champions Leagues, five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two League Cups and two Europa Leagues.