Chelsea hit with record fine over secret payments, probe covers era of nine trophies | OneFootball

Chelsea have been handed a record 10.75 million pound fine by the Premier League after the club’s new owners self-reported historic hidden payments from 2011 to 2018. A two-year first-team transfer ban is suspended and applies only if there is a repeat offence, while there is an immediate nine-month bar on registering youth players from outside the Premier League or EFL.

BlueCo, led by Todd Boehly, uncovered the issue in 2022, flagging undisclosed payments to agents and third parties worth about 54.5 million euros during the Roman Abramovich era, when Ron Gourlay held a senior role. Daily Mail reports that five of the seven deals under scrutiny involved Eden Hazard, David Luiz, André Schürrle, Nemanja Matić and Ramires, with around 22.3 million euros linked to Willian and Samuel Eto’o. The total irregular sum was put at roughly 47.5 million pounds.

A further 4.4 million payment was tied to another transfer whose identity has not been disclosed. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the players named.

There will be no points deduction and no withdrawal of titles, and Chelsea can operate in the market as usual for now.

The period examined coincided with one of the club’s most successful spells, when they lifted nine trophies. The haul comprised the 2011-12 Champions League, the 2014-15 and 2016-17 Premier League titles, Europa League wins in 2012-13 and 2018-19, FA Cups in 2009-10, 2011-12 and 2017-18, and the 2014-15 League Cup.

Source: Superdeporte