Chelsea Football Club has narrowly avoided a six-point deduction following their successful appeal against an initial sanction. Instead of the severe penalty, the club received a suspended transfer ban after the Football Association (FA) upheld findings of financial misconduct dating back to the Roman Abramovich era.

Between 2009 and 2022, when Abramovich owned Chelsea, the club allegedly made irregular payments totaling £47 million (€54.5 million) to unregistered agents and third parties. These breaches primarily occurred between 2010 and 2016, with the new ownership discovering the irregularities during the 2022 takeover. The FA formally charged Chelsea with 74 breaches last September.

Notable transfers linked to the investigation include Eden Hazard’s move from Lille in 2012, Samuel Eto’o’s arrival from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, Willian’s transfer from the same Russian club later that year, André Schürrle’s signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, Nemanja Matic’s acquisition from Benfica in 2014, and David Luiz’s purchase from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016.