Premier League clubs have expressed outrage after Chelsea escaped a points deduction despite being found guilty of making £47 million in secret payments linked to past transfers. The Blues were fined a record £10.75 million and handed a suspended one-year transfer ban, but avoided sporting sanctions, sparking criticism from rival teams.
The punishment, announced on Monday, also includes an immediate nine-month ban on registering academy players. The sanctions stem from undisclosed payments made between 2011 and 2018 to players, unregistered agents, and third parties, during Roman Abramovich's ownership.
Mirror Football understands that two clubs raised the issue directly with Premier League chair Alison Brittain ahead of a meeting this week. Reports indicate some executives have questioned why Chelsea were not hit with a points deduction, especially given their success during the period, which included two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy.
Chelsea's current ownership, BlueCo, self-reported the breaches after acquiring the club in 2022. The Premier League acknowledged the club's 'exceptional cooperation' and 'proactive self-reporting' as factors in determining the sanctions. Chelsea stated they were 'pleased' the matter is concluded and accepted the settlement in full.
Despite the fine, fans of rival clubs have voiced anger, arguing that a points deduction would have been more appropriate. The controversy adds to ongoing tensions around financial fair play enforcement in English football.
