Chelsea Football Club is facing more than 70 charges brought by the Football Association (FA) over alleged breaches of regulations on agents, intermediaries and third-party payments made during Roman Abramovich’s tenure as owner between 2011 and 2016.
The FA said the charges relate to undisclosed payments connected to the transfers of several players, including Eden Hazard, Willian and Samuel Eto’o. The London club, now owned by the BlueCo consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, has until 19 September to respond to the allegations.
Chelsea’s current ownership said it had disclosed the potential breaches itself after uncovering “financial discrepancies” during due diligence at the time of its 2022 takeover. The club stated: “Chelsea FC proactively reported these issues to the FA as part of our commitment to transparency.”
The charges stem from information revealed in the Cyprus Confidential investigation conducted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Guardian, and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The reports alleged that payments routed through offshore companies were used to secure player transfers under Abramovich’s control.
Legal experts had warned that such payments could have contravened English football rules designed to promote financial sustainability among clubs.
Meanwhile, Abramovich is facing separate legal scrutiny in Jersey, where authorities have launched a criminal probe into alleged corruption and money laundering linked to his early business dealings. According to court documents cited by The Guardian, prosecutors in Jersey suspect companies tied to Abramovich may have breached sanctions and made illicit payments in the 1990s during the growth of his former oil company, Sibneft.
Jersey’s government, which froze billions of Abramovich’s assets after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has sought access to Swiss banking records connected to a $13 billion sale of Sibneft to the Russian state.
Abramovich, who was prominently featured in the Cyprus Confidential investigation, has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers said, “Any suggestion that Mr Abramovich has been involved in criminal activity is false.”
In a related development, Cypriot tax authorities have pressed criminal charges against former directors of Blue Ocean Yacht Management, a company linked to Abramovich’s fleet of luxury vessels. Investigators allege the firm used a network of British Virgin Islands entities to avoid millions in European taxes.
The Cyprus Confidential findings prompted scrutiny in Cyprus’ parliament earlier this year, as officials questioned the failure to recover roughly $15 million in unpaid value-added tax related to Abramovich’s yachts.
The FA said its charges against Chelsea will be reviewed by an independent regulatory commission.
