LONDON, March 16 - Chelsea Football Club has been fined a record £10.75 million ($14.28 million) by the Premier League for breaches of financial reporting, third-party investment, and youth development rules.
The sanctions include a one-year first-team transfer ban, suspended for two years, and an immediate nine-month academy transfer restriction.
The Premier League confirmed that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments were made by third parties linked to Chelsea to players and unregistered agents - actions not disclosed at the time.
These payments, intended to benefit the club, should have been reported as club expenditures, violating good faith obligations.
The investigation followed a voluntary report by Chelsea’s current owners, who took over in May 2022 after Roman Abramovich sold the club post-Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new ownership, led by U.S. investor Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, cooperated fully with regulators.
Despite the misconduct, the Premier League found no breach of its Profitability and Sustainability Rules, even when recalculating historical finances.
The sanctions take effect immediately, including full payment of investigation costs.
This is the highest fine ever issued by the Premier League, surpassing the previous record of £5.5 million to West Ham United in 2007.