Chelsea handed record Premier League fine and suspended transfer ban for historic rule breaches | OneFootball

Chelsea have received a one-year first team transfer ban, suspended for two years, and a record Premier League fine following historical breaches of Financial Reporting and Third Party Investment rules. The club also faces an immediate nine-month restriction on registering Academy players from Premier League and EFL clubs, plus a further financial penalty.

An investigation found that, between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments were made via third parties associated with the club to players, unregistered agents and other external parties. These payments were not declared to football authorities at the time.

The current ownership voluntarily alerted regulators in 2022 after taking over from Roman Abramovich and cooperated throughout. Recalculations of historic submissions concluded that, had the payments been properly included, the club would not have breached Profitability and Sustainability Rules during the relevant periods, and self-reporting was treated as a mitigating factor.

The suspended transfer ban applies to the first team. The Academy prohibition covers all age groups beyond Under-9s and is limited to players previously registered with other Premier League or EFL clubs, without affecting contract renewals or overseas registrations, and with an 18-month prior-registration condition.

All sanctions take immediate effect, with Chelsea also covering the costs of the investigation and disciplinary process. A separate FA case relating to similar conduct remains ongoing, while UEFA previously concluded a settlement under which the club made a financial contribution. Chelsea has welcomed the settlement and maintains there was no scenario in which PSR limits would have been exceeded historically.

Source: Leeds Live