Chelsea have overturned a six-point deduction handed down by an independent FA regulatory commission, but will pay a £10 million fine and serve a suspended two-window transfer ban, it has been revealed.
The club was charged with 74 breaches of FA Rule E1.2 relating to payments to unregistered agents and third parties between 2011 and 2018, all of which Chelsea admitted before a hearing.
An independent regulatory commission initially imposed the six-point deduction, suspended until June 30, 2027, alongside the £10 million fine. Chelsea appealed the points sanction, and an independent Appeal Board allowed the appeal and set it aside.
In place of the points deduction, the Appeal Board imposed a registration ban for two complete and consecutive transfer windows, also suspended until June 30, 2027. The £10 million fine was not subject to appeal, and the full amount will be invested into grassroots football.
Self-reported misconduct
Chelsea's current owners, BlueCo, voluntarily reported the potential historical rule breaches to all applicable regulators upon taking over from Roman Abramovich in 2022, after noticing financial irregularities during their due diligence on the takeover.
In a statement, Chelsea said the club had worked openly and transparently with all regulators, voluntarily and proactively disclosing many thousands of documents. The club said it was pleased to confirm that the conclusion of the FA process brings all regulatory proceedings against the club to a close.
The FA said it is continuing to investigate individual misconduct arising out of the case.
Earlier penalties
The FA punishment follows a separate settlement with the Premier League in March, in which Chelsea were also fined £10 million and handed a suspended transfer ban after admitting to making secret payments to unofficial agents between 2011 and 2018. That Premier League fine would have been £20 million but was reduced by 50 per cent because Chelsea proactively self-reported and co-operated.
The Premier League case related to transfers including Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle and Nemanja Matic. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of those players.
Chelsea also received a nine-month academy transfer ban and a £750,000 fine over the registration of academy players between 2019 and 2022.
With settlement agreements now concluded with UEFA, the Premier League and the FA, the club's statement said all regulatory proceedings stemming from the old ownership have been brought to a close.
