Chelsea F.C. have been fined a record £10.7 million and handed a suspended 12-month transfer ban after an investigation uncovered undisclosed payments linked to the club during the ownership period of former owner Roman Abramovich.
The sanction was confirmed by the Premier League following a probe into financial dealings connected to player transfers between 2011 and 2018.
Under the ruling, Chelsea will not face an immediate transfer ban. Instead, the one-year restriction on registering first-team players has been suspended for two years, meaning it will only be enforced if the club commits further breaches during that period.
Alongside the £10.7 million fine , the largest ever imposed by the Premier League , the club has also been banned from signing academy players registered with the Premier League or the English Football League for nine months.
In addition, Chelsea received a separate £750,000 fine for other rule violations.
In a statement, the Premier League said its investigation found that several payments connected to the club had not been disclosed to football authorities at the time.
The league stated that between 2011 and 2018, third parties associated with Chelsea made undisclosed payments to players, unregistered agents and other individuals.
A report by The Athletic noted that the punishment stems from breaches dating back more than a decade, mainly involving incomplete financial reporting and undisclosed payments during Abramovich’s tenure.
Despite the sanctions, there will be no sporting penalties such as points deductions in the Premier League.
The suspended transfer ban also means the club can continue registering senior players as long as no further breaches occur during the two-year monitoring period.
The ruling is not expected to affect Chelsea’s compliance with the league’s profitability and sustainability regulations.
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