Chelsea Plead with Premier League to Avoid Points Deduction Over Alleged Abramovich-Era Payments

Key Points:

• Chelsea face allegations of secret payments to agents during Roman Abramovich’s ownership.
• These payments allegedly occurred during the transfers of Eden Hazard, Willian, and Samuel Eto’o.
• The club seeks to resolve the matter with a financial penalty rather than a points deduction.

Chelsea are reportedly engaged in advanced discussions with the Premier League to avoid a potential points deduction related to historic breaches of financial fair play (FFP) regulations during Roman Abramovich’s tenure as owner.

Abramovich, who owned the club from 2003 until its forced sale in 2022, significantly invested in Chelsea, leading to numerous domestic and European trophies. However, leaked documents published in November 2023 revealed alleged irregularities in financial reporting during his era, particularly secret payments made to agents and third parties.

Allegations and Investigations

The irregularities were flagged by Chelsea’s new owners, BlueCo—a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital—during their review of the club’s finances after the £2.5bn purchase in 2022. The findings were promptly reported to the Premier League, UEFA, and the FA.

Key allegations involve hidden payments connected to the transfers of:

• Eden Hazard from Lille in 2012 for approximately £32m.
• Willian from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 for £30m.
• Samuel Eto’o, also from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 on a free transfer.

According to reports, payments tied to these deals may have been made to entities outside of the recorded transactions, potentially breaching FFP rules.

Risk of Points Deduction

If proven guilty, Chelsea could face a points deduction similar to penalties imposed on Everton and Nottingham Forest last season for FFP violations. However, The Times and The Telegraph report that Chelsea’s management is working to avoid this severe consequence by negotiating a financial settlement.

Club insiders are confident that their transparent approach—bringing these irregularities to light during due diligence—will mitigate the punishment. BlueCo had set aside £150m to address potential fines when they acquired the club.