Chelsea Negotiates Financial Settlement Over Historical Secret Payments to Avoid Points Deduction
Chelsea is negotiating with the Premier League to resolve allegations of secret payments during Roman Abramovich's ownership, aiming for a financial settlement rather than a points deduction, thanks to self-reporting by the club's current owners.
Original Source
The Times
Written by
Steve Worrell
Chelsea Football Club is in discussions with the Premier League to address allegations of undisclosed payments related to transfers made during Roman Abramovich's tenure. The club's new ownership, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, uncovered these irregularities during the 2022 takeover and reported them to authorities. A financial settlement is being sought, similar to an agreement reached with UEFA in 2023, to avoid potential sporting sanctions like a points deduction. The Premier League investigation, which has focused on transfers involving Willian, Samuel Eto’o, and Eden Hazard, is expected to conclude by March.
- Self-Reporting by New Owners: The irregularities were discovered during the 2022 takeover and reported by Chelsea's current ownership, who have emphasised their proactive cooperation with investigations.
- Focus on Historical Transactions: The alleged violations relate to deals made over a decade ago under Abramovich’s ownership, including payments linked to Willian, Eto’o, and Hazard.
- Potential Financial Settlement: Chelsea seeks a financial resolution, arguing that the breaches predate the current ownership, as opposed to a points deduction imposed on other clubs for more recent violations.
- Funds Reserved for Sanctions: The club's owners retained £150 million from the purchase price to address potential liabilities stemming from the investigation.
- Precedent with UEFA: Chelsea previously settled a similar issue with UEFA for £8.6 million in 2023, raising hopes for a similar resolution with the Premier League.
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GETTY IMAGES – GETTY
Written by
Steve Worrell
Steve, Co-founder of The 1905 Club, created the platform to provide honest, clickbait-free Chelsea FC content. He worked at Stamford Bridge from 2013 to 2016 with a Champions League sponsor. His first Chelsea match was a 1-0 win at Leeds in 2000, and his favourite was the epic 2012 Champions League game against Napoli.
