Chelsea hit with 74 FA charges over Roman Abramovich era deals

The charges involve alleged breaches of agents' regulations and third-party investment rules, with the majority of incidents said to have taken place between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 seasons. They also cover a wider period running from 2009 up to Abramovich's forced sale of the club in 2022.

Abramovich sold Chelsea in a deal worth two and a half billion pounds to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital after the UK government, under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, sanctioned him in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

An FA spokesperson confirmed: "The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of the FA Third Party Investment in Players Regulations.

"In total, 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea FC. The conduct that is the subject of the charges ranges from 2009 and 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 playing seasons.

"Chelsea FC has until 19 September 2025 to respond."

The charges add further scrutiny to a club that have already been under the spotlight for financial regulations. Chelsea are also being monitored closely by UEFA and the Premier League after heavy spending under the Boehly-Clearlake ownership, with over one billion pounds invested in transfers since 2022.

Manager Enzo Maresca, who took charge last season, has said he is focused solely on football despite the issues off the pitch. "My job is to prepare the team and work with the players we have. Everything else is for the club to deal with," Maresca said last week.

Chelsea, who finished outside the top four last season, are looking to rebuild under Maresca while facing the latest challenge of answering to the FA over their past.

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