The Football Association (FA) on Thursday charged Chelsea with 74 alleged breaches of regulations concerning payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.
Most of the charges relate to the 2010/11 to 2015/16 seasons. The Premier League club has until 19 September to respond.
Chelsea, bought by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2003 and sold in May 2022 to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, said it had self-reported the issues. The club stated that the new ownership uncovered incomplete financial reporting during due diligence and immediately notified regulators after the takeover.
The Blues stressed they had shown “unprecedented transparency” in their cooperation with the FA. In July 2023, Chelsea agreed to pay UEFA €10 million (£8.6 million) after admitting similar reporting failures under Abramovich.
Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 over alleged ties to Vladimir Putin, which he denies. The fate of the £2.5 billion raised from Chelsea’s sale remains unresolved, with ministers insisting it be channelled to Ukraine.