Chelsea fined £10m for secret payments to agents during Abramovich era

Chelsea have been fined £10m and given a suspended two-window transfer ban by the Football Association (FA) for secret payments to agents.

The Premier League club was also handed a six-point deduction, suspended until 30 June 2027, but following an appeal it was set aside.

The sanctions relate to secret payments to players' representatives when Roman Abramovich was the owner and are believed to include deals for players such as Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o and Willian, Sky Sports reported.

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On Friday, the FA confirmed the imposition of sanctions over Chelsea's dealings with agents, working with intermediaries and third-party investment in players.

Owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital self-reported 74 potential historical breaches of FA rules when they bought the club from the Russian oligarch in 2022.

An Independent Regulatory Commission initially issued the fine along with a six-point deduction, suspended until 30 June 2027, but the points penalty has now been replaced by the transfer ban.

The ban covers "two complete and consecutive transfer windows", suspended until the same date.

The fine imposed by the Regulatory Commission "was not subject to appeal" and "will be invested into grassroots football", the FA said.

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In a statement Chelsea said: "A final decision has been reached by the FA's judicial bodies in relation to historical regulatory matters that were self-reported by the club.

"In 2022, the club self-reported potential historical rule breaches to all applicable regulators. Following that report, it has worked openly and transparently with all regulators, including voluntarily and proactively disclosing many thousands of documents.

"As previously announced, settlement agreements have been entered into with UEFA and the Premier League concerning the same self-reported regulatory matters and topics that have been addressed before. The club is pleased to confirm that, now the FA process has concluded, this brings all regulatory proceedings against the club to a close.

"We are grateful to UEFA, the Premier League and the FA for their engagement with the club throughout these processes."

In July 2023, Chelsea agreed to pay UEFA €10m (£8.5m) as a settlement for incomplete financial reporting between 2012 and 2019 during the period when Roman Abramovich owned the club.

Last week, the club completed the signing of England forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a record £117m.

Mudryk cleared to return after ban

On Friday, it was announced Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk can return to playing immediately after the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) "resolved his appeal" against a ban for failing a doping test.

The Ukrainian footballer was suspended for four years after failing a drug test which revealed the presence of a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance, in 2024.

Mudryk filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Changes to WADA procedures in the interim mean that had his failed test produced the same result now, charges would not have been brought.

Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for £62m in 2023 and had made 73 appearances, scoring nine goals, before his ban.

Chelsea said they will support the 25-year-old's "reintegration into the squad" while "helping him resume his career".

(c) Sky News 2026: Chelsea fined £10m for secret payments to agents during Abramovich era