September 11, (THEWILL) — The England Football Association has brought 74 charges against Chelsea Football Club for alleged regulatory violations spanning from 2009 to 2022. The charges focus primarily on events during the 2010/2011 to 2015/2016 seasons when Roman Abramovich owned the club. The violations concern agent regulations, intermediary working arrangements, and third-party investment in players.
Abramovich faced disqualification by the English Premier League in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, with UK authorities freezing his assets due to Kremlin connections. The BlueCo consortium, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, acquired Chelsea in May 2022. The new ownership discovered potentially incomplete financial reporting during due diligence checks before completing the purchase.
The FA issued charges under multiple regulations including J1 and C2 of Football Agents Regulations, A2 and A3 of Working with Intermediaries rules, and A1 and B3 of Third Party Investment regulations. Chelsea must respond to all 74 charges by September 19. The club described the matter as complex, noting it relates to events from over a decade ago.
Chelsea expressed satisfaction that the issues they self-reported are nearing resolution. The current ownership immediately reported potential breaches to all relevant regulators after completing the takeover. The club granted comprehensive access to historical files and data throughout the investigation process.
The west London club thanked the FA for their engagement on the case and committed to continued collaboration. Chelsea emphasised their transparency during proceedings and stated their intention to conclude the matter swiftly. The charges represent one of the largest regulatory cases involving an EPL club in recent years.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
