Chelsea have been handed a Premier League record fine of £10.75m and a suspended transfer ban. The club made secret payments to unregistered agents and third-parties over transfers between 2011 and 2018, according to a 28-page document published by the Premier League.
The document highlights 36 separate payments totalling £47.5m to 12 individuals or corporate entities, made via a series of third-parties primarily registered in the British Virgin Islands. Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was implicated in the payments, which were made with the knowledge and approval of certain senior former officers and/or Directors.
The biggest payment, £23m, accounts for almost half the total and was paid to seven unregistered agents to sign players including Eden Hazard, Ramires, David Luiz, and Nemanja Matic. The Premier League Board concluded Chelsea should be fined £20m with a transfer ban for two complete and consecutive windows, but mitigating factors, including the club's co-operation, saw the fine halved to £10m and the transfer ban suspended.
Police Response and Timeline
The Premier League's investigation found that Chelsea's misconduct happened between approximately 2013 and 2017, during which the club won six pieces of silverware, including two Premier League titles. The majority of the players named in the document had successful careers at Chelsea, with Eden Hazard scoring 110 goals in 352 games across all competitions.
Investigation and Charges
Chelsea were charged for offences over an eight-year period and were found to have made "obvious and deliberate breaches" which also "involved deception and concealment in relation to financial matters". The club has already been fined 10m euros (£8.6m) by Uefa over the payment offences and still faces a hearing over 74 Football Association charges.
Official Statements
A statement from the Premier League Board said that Chelsea's co-operation and voluntary disclosures were taken into account when determining the fine and suspension. The Board also reserved the right to trigger the suspension at any time in the future if the club makes intentionally untrue declarations.
