Chelsea have been fined £10.75 million and handed a suspended two-year ban from signing first-team players after admitting breaches of Premier League financial rules during Roman Abramovich’s ownership. The club also received an immediate nine-month academy transfer ban for youth development rule breaches between 2019 and 2022.
The Premier League said the club made undisclosed payments to players, unregistered agents and other third parties between 2011 and 2018, which were not reported to football authorities at the time. The offences were self-reported by the new ownership group BlueCo, which took over from Abramovich in May 2022.
Chelsea avoided a points deduction but received the largest fine ever imposed by the Premier League. The suspended first-team transfer ban will be activated if further breaches occur within two years. The league acknowledged Chelsea’s “exceptional cooperation” and “significant mitigating factors” in reaching the settlement.
The illicit payments related to signings including Samuel Eto’o, Eden Hazard and Willian, as well as apparent off-book payments to Hazard’s agent and an associate of former manager Antonio Conte. The breaches did not affect the club’s compliance with profit and sustainability rules.
Chelsea still face potential sanctions from the Football Association over 74 charges of breaching agent regulations. A source indicated the FA investigation is also expected to conclude with a fine and a suspended transfer ban, with the club’s self-reporting likely to reduce punishment.
The new owners have a £150 million holdback clause in the takeover deal to cover costs from pre-acquisition events, effectively absorbing any financial penalty below that amount. Chelsea said they treated the matters with “utmost seriousness” and provided full cooperation to regulators.
