Chelsea charged with 74 breaches of Football Association regulations, statement confirms

Chelsea have claimed that they have displayed "unprecedented transparency" with the Football Association in light of being charged with 74 breaches of regulations.

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed a takeover from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, there have been reports of multiple rule breaches that took place during the Abramovich era.

Those reports highlighted that Boehly and Clearlake Capital had become aware of the situation during the takeover process and self-reported the relevant issues.

On Thursday morning, the Football Association confirmed, for the first time, that Chelsea were facing a wide range of charges relating to agents, intermediaries and third-party investments in players.

The alleged breaches are said to have taken place between 2009 and 2022, most predominantly between the seasons 2010-11 and 2015-16.

A deadline of September 19 has been set for Chelsea to provide an initial response.

How have Chelsea reacted to FA announcement?

In an official statement, Chelsea have formally acknowledged the charges and are hopeful that the process is "now reaching a conclusion".

On the club's website, it read: "Chelsea FC is pleased to confirm that its engagement with The FA concerning matters that were self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion.

"The Club’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on 30 May 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules.

"Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the Club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including The FA.

"The Club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the Club’s files and historical data.

"We will continue working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible. We wish to place on record our gratitude to The FA for their engagement with the Club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago."

Are Chelsea facing sanctions?

While the FA are likely to take into account the co-operation of Chelsea's current ownership with regards to the matter, the Premier League giants are still likely to face significant punishment.

A fine, transfer embargo and points deduction are all possibilities, Chelsea officials likely hoping that a fine will be the extent of the sanctioning.

Chelsea are no strangers to recent punishments having been fined by UEFA for breaching financial regulations, subsequently leading to the governing body ordering Chelsea to make a net profit in the transfer market this summer in order to register new signings in their Champions League squad.