Chelsea poised to learn punishment fate over 74 charges as update drops

Chelsea are set to discover the outcome of a disciplinary hearing this week regarding the 74 charges against them relating to alleged undeclared payments to agents and intermediaries from the Roman Abramovich era

Chelsea are awaiting the verdict of their FA disciplinary hearing regarding 74 charges that have been levelled against the club. The offences, which relate to agents, intermediaries and third-party investment, came to light during Roman Abramovich's ownership and were self-reported by the Blues to the governing body.

The issues surfaced during the 2022 takeover of the club by BlueCo, with Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali teaming up to finalise the deal. The alleged offences include claims of undisclosed payments to agents and the use of unregistered intermediaries to facilitate transfers.

As reported by The Times, The FA's disciplinary hearing is set to conclude this week, which should bring about a resolution to the charges against the club. If Chelsea are found guilty of breaking the rules, they could face sporting sanctions, such as a points deduction.

However, football.London understands that Chelsea would contest any sporting sanction and are currently anticipating a fine for the charges. As for former owner Abramovich and ex-sporting director Marina Granovskaia, neither is currently involved in football, so they fall outside of The FA's jurisdiction.

Back in September, the Blues announced that they would be collaborating closely with The FA to ensure all necessary facts were available for the investigation. The club statement reads: "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."

The Boehly-Eghbali era has brought about significant change in the nearly four years since they took over Chelsea, resulting in a transformed club. The Blues were once notorious for their cutthroat approach to hiring and firing managers, while their transfer strategy centred on acquiring a blend of established stars and promising talents.

However, the club has since shifted towards what they perceive as a sustainable transfer model, characterised by a steady stream of incoming and outgoing players over recent windows. This approach has drawn criticism at times, with sceptics questioning its potential for success.

Yet, with substantial time and investment poured into the project, the squad is beginning to emerge as a consistent contender at the top. Under Enzo Maresca, the Blues currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League and have secured a return to the Champions League, along with a Europa Conference League trophy.

Chelsea have even found themselves in the Premier League title discussion at points this season, indicating progress towards that goal. The model is starting to finance transfers in a manner that complies perfectly with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), with player sales generating sufficient revenue to facilitate new signings.

Despite this, the west London club still managed to splash out a staggering £296.5m in the summer - second only to Liverpool's record-breaking window - but made sales totalling £314.4m, resulting in a net spend of -£17.9m. This demonstrates a system that is beginning to function effectively and a strategy that keeps them competitive.

Whether this will alter with the introduction of the Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules replacing PSR in upcoming seasons remains to be seen. However, it indicates that Chelsea are operating in a markedly different manner compared to the Abramovich era.