Chelsea have been charged with 74 alleged breaches of the Football Association’s Football Agents Regulations, relating to financial activity carried out during Roman Abramovich’s ownership of the club.
The FA confirmed the alleged offences cover a period between 2009 and 2022, with the majority said to centre on seasons from 2010/11 through to 2015/16.
Six separate FA regulations are understood to have been broken during that time. The London club have been given until September 19 to respond to the charges.
In a statement, they confirmed: “Chelsea FC is pleased to confirm that its engagement with The FA concerning matters that were self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion.
“During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules.
“Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the Club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including The FA.”
The club added that they had been “transparent throughout” and had provided regulators with full access to historical records in order to resolve the case.
The FA acknowledged Chelsea’s cooperation but confirmed the sheer scale of the allegations meant a formal investigation had to be pursued. The charges will now be assessed under the governing body’s disciplinary procedures.
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The charges cover the time Roman Abramovich was in charge of the club
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A statement from the FA revealed: "The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of The FA Third Party Investment in Players Regulations.
"In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC. The conduct that is the subject of the charges ranges from 2009 to 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 playing seasons.
"Chelsea FC has until September 19, 2025, to respond."
The Premier League is also expected to examine the club’s accounts, with their own investigation likely to focus on whether Chelsea may have gained an unfair advantage during Abramovich’s reign.
The Premier League began its own inquiry in 2023 after revelations surfaced about undisclosed payments allegedly authorised by Abramovich without the knowledge of senior club figures.
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The charges rang over a period of 13 years
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At first, the probe focused on financial dealings linked to the transfers of Samuel Eto’o and Willian in 2013, along with Eden Hazard’s arrival the previous year.
Both Willian and Hazard were heavily pursued by Tottenham before ultimately choosing to join Chelsea.
The accusations are said to involve “off-the-books” payments, personally signed off by the club’s former owner, to help secure player moves.
These irregularities were reportedly uncovered by new owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and the Clearlake Capital group during their takeover in May 2022.
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The club self reported as soon as Todd Boehly took over the club
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Upon discovery, the findings were passed on to the FA, UEFA and the Premier League.
While Chelsea reached an £8.6 million settlement with UEFA in 2023, the Premier League’s investigation remains active.
While the FA charges relate to events that occurred more than a decade ago, the case has once again placed scrutiny on how clubs operated financially during a period of rapid spending in English football.
Chelsea, who have been under the ownership of Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium since 2022, insist the matters predate their tenure and remain confident of bringing the process to a swift conclusion.
The outcome of the FA’s disciplinary proceedings could have significant implications depending on the severity of any proven breaches.