Chelsea has been fined £10 million and handed a suspended two-window transfer ban by the Football Association (FA) after an appeal, overturning a previously imposed six-point deduction. The penalty stems from 74 breaches of financial rules related to payments made to unregistered agents between 2011 and 2018, during the ownership of Roman Abramovich.
An independent regulatory commission had initially sanctioned Chelsea with a six-point deduction, suspended until June 2027, alongside a £10 million fine. However, the club appealed this decision, and an independent Appeal Board subsequently set aside the points deduction.
The FA stated that the £10 million fine will be invested into grassroots football. The suspended registration ban is effective until June 30, 2027. The FA also noted that it is continuing to investigate individual misconduct arising from this case.
Chelsea's current owners, BlueCo, self-reported potential historical rule breaches to regulators upon taking over the club in 2022. The club confirmed in a statement that it has worked openly and transparently with all regulators, including UEFA and the Premier League, with whom settlement agreements have already been reached.
"As previously announced, settlement agreements have been entered into with UEFA and the Premier League concerning the same self-reported regulatory matters and topics that have been addressed before," Chelsea stated. "The club is pleased to confirm that, now the FA process has concluded, this brings all regulatory proceedings against the club to a close."
This FA sanction follows a separate £10 million fine and a suspended transfer ban issued by the Premier League earlier this year. That ruling concerned £47 million in secret payments to unregistered agents and third parties between 2011 and 2018, a period that included transfers such as Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o, and David Luiz. However, the Premier League had stated that Chelsea would not have breached profitability and sustainability rules even if these payments had been properly declared.
The club also received a nine-month academy transfer ban and a £750,000 fine for issues related to the registration of academy players between 2019 and 2022. The £10 million fine from the Premier League was reduced by 50% from an initial £20 million due to the club's proactive self-reporting and cooperation.