The Premier League has fined Chelsea £10m for making secret payments to players between 2011 and 2018.
The league's sanction agreement, available on the Premier League's website, outlines the factors considered when deciding on the punishment, including the need to punish the club and preserve public confidence in the fairness of the competition, as reported by the BBC.
A one-year transfer ban was also suspended, according to the Premier League's document. The wrongdoing involved 36 payments totalling more than £47m over eight years, including signings such as Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o, Willian, and David Luiz.
Police and Authority Response
The Premier League applied leniency due to Chelsea's new ownership self-reporting the rule-breaches and displaying "exceptional" co-operation, as stated in the sanction agreement.
Richard Monks, the chief executive of the Independent Football Regulator, told the BBC that the sanction is a result of activities under the previous Chelsea regime, and not the current owners or executive group.
Investigation and Timeline
The Premier League says it considered the importance of deterring breaches and the need to preserve public confidence in the fairness of the competition when deciding on the punishment.
The case involved "not only obvious and deliberate breaches of the rules but... deception and concealment in relation to financial matters", according to the Premier League's document.
Casualties and Impact
The wrongdoing had a material sporting impact, not only on Chelsea but also some of their rivals, with players such as Eden Hazard potentially playing for other clubs if not for the undisclosed payments.
The Premier League winners in the period covered by the report include Chelsea in 2014-15 and 2016-17, as well as other honours such as the FA Cup and Champions League.
Related Cases
The case has drawn comparisons to Everton and Nottingham Forest in 2024, who received points deductions for PSR breaches that appear less serious.
Manchester City is still waiting to discover its fate after an independent commission hearing into alleged breaches of financial rules, with the club denying wrongdoing and contesting the case.
