Chelsea may be hit with points deduction in FFP investigation

Chelsea could soon face a Premier League points deduction after financial details regarding a series of payments have emerged. These apparently illegal payments are worth tens of millions of dollars and span a decade. This timeframe was when Roman Abramovich owned the club.

The Russian oligarch eventually sold the Blues after being sanctioned by the British government following the invasion of Ukraine. American businessman Todd Boehly purchased Chelsea from Abramovich for around $5.4 billion in May of 2022. The American has since recorded a net spend of around $800 million on player transfers during his short time at the helm.

According to a report by The Guardian, the payments in question went through special offshore accounts belonging to Abramovich. The transactions also apparently benefited both Chelsea and individual people involved with the club. This includes former manager Antonio Conte, Eden Hazard’s agent, and other high-ranking execs in the team.

The Premier League and Football Association (FA) are both currently investigating Chelsea regarding financial irregularities. This comes after UEFA fined the club over $10 million earlier this summer for the issues during the Abramovich era. Nevertheless, the club could face further action besides the fine.

Several transactions between 2012 and 2017 are under investigation

Eden Hazard’s move from Lille to Chelsea in 2012 is one of the key points of interest in the new findings. The playmaker was one of the top targets during the summer transfer market that season. Fellow Premier League side Arsenal also targeted Hazard. The midfielder, however, eventually moved to the Blues in a $38 million deal after other top teams refused to match the offer.

According to the aforementioned report, Abramovich sanctioned a $7.5 million payment to Hazard’s agent, John Bico, to complete the deal. Documents show that a company owned by Abramovich paid the fee to another company called Gulf Value FZE….

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/chelsea-may-be-hit-with-points-deduction-in-ffp-investigation-20231115-WST-470107.html

Author : Chris Moore

Publish date : 2023-11-15 16:47:57

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