The Blues have currently faced charges from football leagues or governing bodies such as UEFA and FIFA. Concerns linger in the sporting realm about the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, their financial capabilities, and the transactions conducted over the last 18 months. However, this is not a pressing issue at present.
The focus is more on allegations of the club’s actions under Abramovich, some of which have already resulted in penalties. Despite the doomsday speculations surrounding the club, the actual situation appears quite different. Here’s a breakdown of the instances when they faced football authorities’ sanctions.
It’s crucial to emphasize that there are no ongoing charges against the club. There’s no immediate expectation of punishment, and while this could change, assuming an impending fallout is premature. Nevertheless, this isn’t the first time the club has dealt with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Earlier this year, UEFA fined the club £8.6 million (€10m) for “submitting incomplete financial information” during Abramovich’s tenure. UEFA’s announcement in July 2023 caught many by surprise, with Sunil Gulati, Chair of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) First Chamber, revealing the investigations.
The situation could have been worse, considering Juventus faced exclusion from European competitions due to their violations. Juventus also faced the threat of an additional fine if their future reports failed to meet requirements. Conversely, Chelsea managed to reach a settlement.
The club initiated this by reporting their own findings to the authorities, terming it a ‘proactive’ approach. Chelsea released a statement indicating proactive disclosure of information to UEFA, leading to a settlement that resolved the reported matters. However, this came unexpectedly after a period of relative calm off the field, despite on-field tumult.
In February 2019, FIFA imposed a ban on the club from signing players for two transfer windows, the most significant punishment in the club’s history. This was in response to Chelsea’s violation of rules related to signing players under 18. The ban was announced a month after the club signed Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund and was appealed by the club.
FIFA’s statement noted that Chelsea breached regulations concerning minor players and various infringements related to player registration requirements. Chelsea was also fined £460,000 ($599,000) and given three months to address the situation of the players involved.
The investigation by FIFA widened to include dealings with over 100 foreign players under 18. The club defended that several individuals were on trial and not signed. Chelsea refuted the findings, asserting that they respected FIFA’s work on protecting minors, cooperated fully, and would appeal the decision.
These penalties stemmed from a three-year investigation initiated in 2016 when images surfaced of Bertrand Traore, a Burkino Faso international, playing against Arsenal at 16. Traore departed for Lyon a year later, raising concerns about Chelsea’s compliance with regulations barring the signing of under-18 players from outside England unless specific conditions were met.
This sanction remained the most significant for the club and followed similar penalties for Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid. While Real Madrid and Barcelona had their bans reduced upon appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Chelsea’s ban was ultimately reduced to one window, which they had already served by the announcement in December 2019.
Moreover, FIFA fined the FA for breaching transfer regulations and provided a period to address issues related to international transfers of minors in football. This fine mirrored Chelsea’s, and the FA pledged to work with FIFA and Chelsea constructively to resolve the case’s raised issues.
Amidst the ban, Chelsea managed to sign Mateo Kovacic permanently in 2019 due to terms in his loan contract. Loanees also joined, and Frank Lampard eventually led the club in the 2019/20 season after Maurizio Sarri’s departure.
Since then, the club has largely steered clear of controversies with UEFA and FIFA, with the recent fine being the only recent disciplinary action. Under the current ownership, there haven’t been official sanctions related to their own activities, something they aim to maintain.