Chelsea Football Club finds itself entangled in another potential crisis, facing the specter of a points deduction as leaked documents reveal alleged secret payments from the Roman Abramovich era.
Already under investigation by the Premier League for reported financial breaches, the Blues now confront additional scrutiny over payments linked to the transfers of players like Willian and Samuel Eto’o.
The leaked documents, investigated by The Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, suggest a pattern of secret payments facilitated through offshore accounts associated with Abramovich, potentially breaching financial fair play and accounting rules.
The reported payments extend over a decade and involve transactions from Abramovich-controlled offshore entities to various individuals connected with Chelsea.
One such instance points to an Abramovich-owned account in the British Virgin Islands allegedly paying €7m to a Dubai account linked to John Bico-Penaque, the agent of Eden Hazard.
Another payment of £10m from an Abramovich-owned offshore account is said to have been directed toward a Delaware-based business owned by Federico Pastorello, an Italian football agent with ties to Antonio Conte.
Despite the Todd Boehly consortium self-reporting potential issues to the FA, Premier League, and UEFA upon acquiring the club, these new revelations could pose significant consequences.
While UEFA may be limited in imposing additional punishments due to prior sanctions, the Premier League and FA investigations could lead to fines or even a points deduction if undisclosed payments are confirmed.
Chelsea, having enjoyed a period of success under Abramovich’s ownership, now navigates the complexities of its financial history, with potential implications for its current standing in English football. Chelsea did not provide a comment at the time of reporting.