Chelsea's week of destiny! Blues set to learn outcome of hearing into 74 alleged breaches of agent regulations during Roman Abramovich era

Chelsea

Chelsea are set to learn the outcome of a hearing into the club's alleged breaches of agent regulations during the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge. An independent regulatory commission is hearing the case which is due to conclude this week. If the Blues are found guilty, they could face sanctions ranging from a fine to a possible points deduction or transfer ban.

Chelsea charged with 74 rule breaches

The Premier League side were slapped with 74 charges by the Football Association back in September relating to payments to agents and intermediaries between 2009 and 2022. The allegations also relate to transfers, particularly signings of former stars Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o and Willian. Chelsea responded to the charges at the time by confirming they had self-reported the situation to the game's governing body after becoming aware of the issues during the takeover by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital in 2022.

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What sanctions could Chelsea face?

The hearing into the allegations faced by the Blues is now set to conclude, as reported by The Times. There is no timescale yet for when a verdict will be announced, but Chelsea are said to be "hopeful" of only being handed a fine by the FA due to the fact they self-reported the potential rule breaches previously. However, it is possible the Blues could face stiffer sanctions than simply a fine. The report adds that a guilty verdict could see Chelsea handed a "transfer ban or points deduction." Any such punishment is expected to be appealed by the Premier League side.

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The Hazard factor

Chelsea's signing of Hazard has long been the subject of much scrutiny. The Blues beat Manchester United to his signature, with the Belgian star going on to win Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League titles with Chelsea. It's previously been reported by The Times that the Red Devils missed out on Hazard, despite the fact a fee and personal terms had been agreed, as they refused to pay the player's agent John Bico a "huge backhander" to seal the transfer.

What Chelsea have said about the charges

The club issued a statement after the charges with announced that read: "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."

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Chelsea aiming for more titles

Chelsea enjoyed a sustained period of success during Abramovich's ownership of the London club, winning a total of 19 major trophies including being crowned champions of Europe twice. The Blues have since gone on to claim their first trophy of the Boehly era in the summer when Enzo Maresca's side tasted glory at the Club World Cup in the United States. Chelsea are now aiming to build on that success and currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal. The Blues are also in contention in the Champions League and take on Atalanta next, aiming for another victory to keep their hopes of automatic qualification to the next round on track.