Chelsea have been hit with an academy transfer ban and slapped with a huge fine after historical breaches relating to Financial Reporting and Third Party Investment.
In 2022 the club’s new owners, BlueCo, a consortium led by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, self reported to the Premier League after buying the club from Roman Abramovich.
A Premier League statement read: “The Premier League has completed a disciplinary process with Chelsea FC in respect of historical breaches relating to Financial Reporting and Third Party Investment. In 2022, Chelsea FC’s current owners voluntarily reported to the League that they had evidence of potential breaches of Premier League Rules.
“As a result of the Premier League’s investigation, it was established that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties. These payments were not disclosed to the football regulatory authorities at the time, including the Premier League.
“The payments were made for the benefit of Chelsea FC and should have been treated as having been made by the club. The club has also accepted, among other things, that the making of these payments, as well as the failure to disclose them to the League, constituted a breach of the requirement to act in good faith towards the League.
Chelsea players huddle before a Premier League match. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“The Premier League assessed a series of recalculations of the club’s historical financial submissions which took into account the payments made for the benefit of Chelsea FC. Importantly, having undertaken that assessment, the Premier League Board was satisfied that in no scenario would the club have breached the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules during the relevant periods, had the relevant payments been properly included in the club’s historical financial submissions.
“When considering the appropriate sanction, the Premier League Board noted that the club’s proactive self-reporting, admissions of breach and exceptional cooperation throughout the investigation acted as significant mitigating factors.
“The Premier League and Chelsea FC have now entered into a sanction agreement under which the club accepts a £10 million fine and a suspended one-year first team transfer ban (suspended for two years).
“In addition, the League also investigated potential breaches of the Premier League’s Youth Development Rules, committed by a former senior employee, relating to the club’s registration of Academy players between 2019 and 2022. This followed a further voluntary report by the club in 2025.
“As a result of this additional investigation, a separate sanction agreement has been entered into with Chelsea FC, under which the club has accepted an immediate nine-month ban from registering Academy players from Premier League and EFL clubs. The club will also pay a £750,000 fine.
“All sanctions will take effect immediately with the club also paying the full costs of the League’s investigation and disciplinary processes. In accordance with Premier League Rules, the sanction agreements with the club have been reviewed and approved by three members of the League’s independent Judicial Panel.
“A separate FA disciplinary process involving the club’s alleged breaches of FA Regulations arising out of similar conduct remains ongoing. In 2022, Chelsea FC also reported to UEFA the historic breaches which resulted in the CFCB First Chamber entering into a settlement agreement with the club. Chelsea FC paid a financial contribution of €10 million (£8.6 million).”
