By Chalien Dantes

Chelsea Football Club is under the spotlight again, this time facing a hefty 74 charges from the Football Association over alleged breaches linked to agent payments and transfer dealings, stretching from 2009 to 2022.

At the heart of the investigation are transfers made during the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons, most notably the high-profile signings of Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o, and Willian. To be clear: there’s no accusation of wrongdoing by the players themselves. These allegations trace back to the era of Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who owned the club for nearly two decades before selling it to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022.

The FA’s charges focus on irregularities involving agents, intermediaries, and third-party investments, areas that have long been murky waters in football. But Chelsea aren’t exactly caught off guard. The club actually flagged the issues themselves during the transition of ownership, as part of a sweeping internal review. The new owners inherited the situation, launched a deep dive into the club’s financial records, and voluntarily reported everything to the proper authorities.

Chelsea now have until September 19 to formally respond to the charges. While sanctions could include anything from fines to a transfer ban or even a points deduction, the club’s transparency and cooperation could play a major role in softening the outcome. Internally, Chelsea remain confident this won’t lead to any sporting penalties.

In fact, the club has already accounted for the potential fallout in their financial planning, ensuring that any fine wouldn’t tip the scales against Premier League profit and sustainability regulations.

This isn’t the first time financial skeletons have rattled out of Stamford Bridge’s closet. Last year, UEFA fined Chelsea £8.6 million for submitting incomplete financial data during the Abramovich years. That penalty covered a period from 2012 to 2019, again predating the current ownership.

As for the players in question, their time at Chelsea brought glory to the club. Hazard lit up Stamford Bridge with 110 goals and two Premier League titles before his move to Real Madrid. Willian and Eto’o both joined from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, with Willian going on to win five trophies across seven seasons. Eto’o spent just one season at the Bridge before heading to Everton.

Meanwhile, the Premier League’s own investigation into Chelsea’s historical finances is still ongoing.