Chelsea Slapped With 74 FA Charges Over Agent Payments.

The Football Association (FA) has brought 74 charges against Chelsea Football Club for alleged breaches of its regulations relating to agents, intermediaries, and third-party investment in players. These alleged violations are said to span from 2009 to 2022, and most of the problematic activity is claimed to have taken place during the 2010-11 through the 2015-16 seasons.

The charges come in the wake of Chelsea’s change of ownership. In May 2022 the club was taken over by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and during the due diligence process ahead of that purchase the new owners uncovered what they described as “potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions” along with “other potential breaches of FA rules.” Once the takeover was formalised, Chelsea self-reported these issues to the FA and other regulatory bodies.

Among the specific alleged breaches are failures in several FA regulations. The club is accused of violating Regulation J1, which prohibits a club from using or paying unauthorised agents or making payments to such agents. The club is also accused under Regulation C2, which forbids parties to conceal or misrepresent the reality or substance of any matters associated with a transaction or contract negotiation. In addition, regulations covering how clubs work with intermediaries (Regulations A2 and A3) are cited, as are rules concerning third-party investment in players (Regulations A1 and B3).

Chelsea has emphasised its cooperation with the process, saying it has granted the FA full access to files and historical data. The club has expressed its desire to see the matter resolved quickly. There is also a deadline: Chelsea have until 19 September 2025 to respond to the charges. Meanwhile observers believe the club is expecting a financial penalty rather than sporting sanctions.

This is not Chelsea’s first issue with FA or UEFA over finance or reporting. In July 2023 the club agreed to pay €10 million to UEFA after admitting to “incomplete financial reporting” during the Abramovich era. That resolution is seen as a related but separate episode.

The significance of these allegations goes beyond Chelsea alone. They raise questions about historical governance, transparency around agent payments, how intermediaries are regulated, and the extent to which clubs have or have not followed FA rules in the past. How the FA and its regulatory commission handle the evidence, and what penalties are imposed, will likely set precedents for how similar cases are judged in the future.

Story by - Nimi Jack