Chelsea Football Club has been hit with more than 70 charges by the Football Association (FA) over alleged financial misconduct during the ownership of Roman Abramovich, spanning 2011 to 2016.
Gatekeepers News reports that the FA said the charges involve breaches of regulations concerning agents, intermediaries, and third-party payments connected to the transfers of several players — including Eden Hazard, Willian, and Samuel Eto’o. The club has until September 19 to formally respond to the allegations.
Chelsea, now owned by the BlueCo consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, said it had voluntarily disclosed the potential breaches after discovering “financial discrepancies” during the due diligence process that preceded its 2022 takeover.
“Chelsea FC proactively reported these issues to the FA as part of our commitment to transparency,” the club said in a statement.
The FA’s investigation follows revelations from the Cyprus Confidential project — a joint probe by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Guardian, and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The investigation alleged that offshore companies were used to funnel payments related to player transfers under Abramovich’s control.
Legal analysts say such payments may have violated English football’s financial regulations, which are designed to ensure transparency and sustainability across the game.
Meanwhile, Abramovich faces separate legal scrutiny in Jersey, where authorities have opened a criminal investigation into alleged corruption and money laundering linked to his early business activities.
According to The Guardian, prosecutors in Jersey suspect that companies tied to Abramovich may have breached sanctions and made illicit payments during the 1990s in connection with his former oil company, Sibneft.
The Jersey government — which froze billions of Abramovich’s assets following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — is also seeking access to Swiss banking records related to the $13 billion sale of Sibneft to the Russian state.
Abramovich’s lawyers have rejected all allegations, stating:
“Any suggestion that Mr Abramovich has been involved in criminal activity is false.”
In a related development, Cypriot authorities have filed criminal charges against former directors of Blue Ocean Yacht Management, a company linked to Abramovich’s fleet of luxury yachts. Investigators claim the firm used a web of offshore entities in the British Virgin Islands to evade millions in European taxes.
The Cyprus Confidential revelations have also triggered debate in Cyprus’ parliament over the government’s failure to recover roughly $15 million in unpaid value-added tax associated with Abramovich’s yachts.
