The Football Association (FA) announced on March 28 that Chelsea has been fined £10 million ($13.41 million) after admitting to 74 historical breaches of FA Rule E1.2. The violations related to third-party investments and dealings with intermediaries, among other regulations.
According to an FA statement, an independent regulatory commission initially imposed a suspended six-point deduction on Chelsea, but after the club appealed, an independent appeal commission overturned this punishment during a subsequent hearing. Chelsea will instead face a two-transfer-window registration ban, suspended until June 30, 2027.
The breaches were self-reported by Chelsea after the club was taken over by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital in May 2022. In its statement, Chelsea said: "In 2022, the club self-reported potential historical regulatory breaches to all relevant governing bodies. Following that report, we have worked openly and transparently with all governing bodies, including voluntarily and proactively disclosing thousands of documents."
The £10 million fine was not appealed, and the FA said the full amount will be directed toward grassroots football initiatives. This is the latest financial penalty Chelsea has faced for historical misconduct. Earlier in March, the club was hit with a record £10.75 million ($14.4 million) fine for breaches of Premier League rules. Chelsea has also previously received a one-year ban on registering first-team players, suspended for two years, along with an immediate nine-month restriction on academy player registrations.
Chelsea, a six-time winner of England's top flight but not since 2017, has also claimed the Champions League twice, in 2012 and 2021.
