The Football Association (FA) has charged Chelsea FC with 74 breaches of its regulations, covering conduct that primarily occurred between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 playing seasons under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.
The charges include alleged violations 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 Players Regulations.
The FA says the alleged breaches relate to events spanning from 2009 to 2022. Chelsea FC has been given until 19 September 2025 to respond to the charges.
The FA did not provide further details about specific incidents or potential sanctions at this stage, but the wide-ranging nature of the charges suggests the investigation covers multiple areas of Chelsea’s dealings with agents, intermediaries, and third-party investment arrangements during Abramovich’s tenure.
Chelsea, now owned by Todd Boehly’s consortium following their purchase of the club on 30 May 2022, issued a statement acknowledging the FA’s action while emphasizing that the matters were self-reported:
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.
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 added that it has “demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the Club’s files and historical data,” and that it will continue “working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible.”
Chelsea also expressed gratitude to the FA, noting that the focus of the investigation is on matters that took place over a decade ago.
More to follow…
