Premier League: Chelsea handed suspended transfer ban

Chelsea FC has avoided the most severe sanction in English football’s history after successfully appealing a six-point deduction. Instead, the club received a suspended transfer ban following a comprehensive Football Association investigation.

According to the FA’s findings, the irregularities spanned from 2009 to 2022, during the ownership of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. The bulk of violations occurred between 2010 and 2016, with the current ownership uncovering these issues upon acquiring the club in 2022. Last September, the FA formally lodged 74 separate charges against Chelsea.

Between 2011 and 2018, Chelsea made a total of £47 million (€54.5 million) in payments to unregistered third parties and agents. Key transfers flagged include Eden Hazard’s move from Lille in 2012, as well as arrivals by Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o, Brazilian winger Willian (from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013), German forward André Schürrle (from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013), Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matić (from Benfica in 2014), and Brazilian defender David Luiz (from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016).