Chelsea's 74 charges explained: What are they accused of? What punishment could they face?

It appears arsenic though Chelsea could beryllium successful trouble. England's Football Association (FA) announced connected Thursday that the Blues person been charged with 74 breaches of its rules relating to alleged cause payments.

The charges subordinate to the play 2009 to 2022 nether Roman Abramovich's ownership, and are mostly focused betwixt 2010 and 2016. Chelsea person until Sept. 19 to respond, but what precisely are they accused of? Are determination immoderate parallels with Manchester City's long-running lawsuit with the Premier League? And what punishment could the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions look if recovered guilty?

How did Chelsea get here?

A consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their £4.25 cardinal takeover of the nine successful May 2022. The takeover ended Abramovich's 19-year tenure successful complaint astatine Stamford Bridge and freed Chelsea from restrictions relating to sanctions imposed connected their erstwhile proprietor for alleged ties to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

While undertaking their owed diligence connected the deal, the caller ownership were alerted to what was described arsenic "incomplete fiscal reporting" during the Abramovich era. And truthful the caller ownership self-reported the assorted discrepancies to European football's governing assemblage UEFA, the Premier League and the FA.

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In July 2023, Chelsea agreed to wage UEFA €10 cardinal arsenic a authorisation for breaching UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play regulations successful transactions taking spot betwixt 2012 and 2019. The nine were praised astatine the clip by UEFA for "proactively" approaching them to tackle the issue.

Sources person told ESPN that the Premier League's probe remains ongoing, portion the FA has progressed the lawsuit to the constituent Chelsea indispensable present determine whether to contention 74 counts of rule-breaking. A root adjacent to the FA has told ESPN that the Sept. 19 deadline could beryllium extended if they take to combat back.

What precisely are Chelsea accused of?

The FA said successful a statement: "The Football Association has contiguous charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations connected Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of The FA Third Party Investment successful Players Regulations."

The Football Agent Regulations stipulate that a nine indispensable not "use the services, either straight oregon indirectly, of an Unauthorised Agent successful narration to immoderate Agency Activity. A nine indispensable not straight oregon indirectly marque immoderate payments to immoderate Unauthorised Agent successful respect of immoderate Agency Activity."

Furthermore, regularisation C2 states: "A Club, Player oregon Authorised Agent indispensable not truthful put matters arsenic to conceal oregon misrepresent the world and/or substance of immoderate matters successful narration to a Transaction oregon Contract Negotiation."

The applicable rules connected moving with intermediaries absorption connected guarding against paying anyone acting arsenic an intermediary who is not registered arsenic such, oregon who is not acting nether a valid intermediary contract.

Sources person told ESPN that cardinal to the charges are alleged payments to persons done offshore companies. The transportation of Eden Hazard from Lille successful June 2012 for a interest of astir £34 cardinal is said to beryllium 1 transaction nether scrutiny.

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