Chelsea hit with 74 FA charges over Roman Abramovich era deals

The charges involve alleged breaches of agents' regulations and third-party investment rules, with the majority of incidents said to have taken place between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 seasons. They also cover a wider period running from 2009 up to Abramovich's forced sale of the club in 2022.

Abramovich sold Chelsea in a deal worth two and a half billion pounds to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital after the UK government, under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, sanctioned him in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

An FA spokesperson confirmed: "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 and 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 playing seasons.

"Chelsea FC has until 19 September 2025 to respond."

The Premier League club almost immediately responded, saying in a statement: "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. The Club's ownership group completed its purchase of the club on 30 May 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 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 has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the Club's files and historical data. We will continue working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible. We wish to place on record our gratitude to The FA for their engagement with the Club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago."

Under Clearlake's ownership, Chelsea have once again invested heavily in the summer transfer window. Former defender William Gallas has warned of a potential "problem" with new signing Jorrel Hato.

Speaking to Gambling Zone, Gallas said: "I think we'll see more of him when the other competitions start to kick into gear. I don't expect to see him against the biggest sides in the Champions League, but he should get some time on the pitch in the League Cup, the FA Cup and against the weaker sides in the Premier League. I think that will be his chance to show everyone what he can do. Because as a defender, especially at this age, it's not easy, especially when you're alongside older players. There are also loads of new players in the squad who are having to adapt themselves. Of course, everyone will be trying to help him, but it's up to him to show his quality. I'm sure he's got the personality, so that means he won't be afraid of the challenge.

"The one problem he might have is he's a little small for a centre-back, so maybe he'll get more time as a full-back. In the Premier League, the requirements are completely different from the Netherlands, so let's see where he plays. He has played a lot at left-back, so perhaps he will be able to give Enzo Maresca a rotation option in that position and can be a back-up for Marc Cucurella. He can also play on the left of a back three."

Chelsea, who finished outside the top four last season, are looking to rebuild under manager Enzo Maresca while navigating the latest off-field challenges, including their response to the FA charges and integrating their new recruits.