Chelsea could 'face points deduction' over the signings of Willian & Samuel Eto'o | OneFootball

Highlights

Chelsea could face a points deduction from the Premier League after Todd Boehly's consortium reported secret payments related to the transfers of Willian and Samuel Eto'o from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala to the authorities, as per a new report from The Mirror. The transfers happened way back in 2013, but the club could still face punishment in form of a fine or a points deduction.

The American consortium became aware of the payments when going through due-diligence upon purchasing the club. They reported the case to the FA, Premier League, and UEFA. Chelsea have already faced severe financial punishment by UEFA as they were fined £8.6 million for submitting "incomplete financial information" between 2012 and 2019. The Times reported that situation could now worsen with the transfers of Eto'o and Willian under investigation.

Chelsea under scrutiny due to transfers

Chelsea's financial records show that the club made payments to offshore companies and "Russian entities" which were separate to any transfer fee. Willian joined Anzhi Makhachkala from Shakhtar Donetsk for £30 million in 2013. However, the Brazilian only made 11 appearances before his move to Stamford Bridge for the same fee. Eto'o, meanwhile, arrived in Russia for a fee in the region of £32 million. He would then move to Chelsea on a free transfer, ironically the day after Willian.

At this stage there is no indication that either player knew of the secret payments involved in their transfers. Willian and Eto'o could still be sanctioned, however, because they had not been registered as part of the club’s original annual financial reporting. As a result, the club would be in breach of their rules.

Chelsea statement

Chelsea have released the following statement regarding the situation: “These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They concern entities that were allegedly controlled by the club’s former owner and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club. Chelsea FC’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on May 30, 2022. 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 during the club’s previous ownership. Immediately following the completion of the purchase, the club proactively self-reported these matters to all applicable football regulators. In accordance with the club’s ownership group’s core principles of full compliance and transparency the club has proactively assisted the applicable regulators with their investigations and will continue to do so.”

UEFA cannot investigate the case as they have a five-year statute of limitations. This obviously means the transfers fall outside of UEFA's timeframe. The Premier League, however, are investigating the case. The payments under investigation were reportedly made to at least six offshore companies, and one payment allegedly went to a player's family.

Willian and Samuel Eto'o in 2023

Willian is still playing, and is a vital player for Fulham. Eto'o, meanwhile, is retired and the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation. There is no concrete information on how long the investigation may take, and this one adds to the Everton and Manchester City investigations also currently ongoing, and it wouldn't be a surprise if more clubs were added to that list.

Chelsea will likely remain tight-lipped until an outcome is reached by the Premier League, whenever that may be, but a points deduction is seemingly a genius possibility. Not something Mauricio Pochettino and the club would welcome, especially given their poor start to the 2023/2024 campaign.