Chelsea Football Club has found itself at the focus of a Premier League investigation over the transfers of two key players, Willian and Samuel Eto’o. These transfers, which were arranged by Roman Abramovich, have generated questions about suspected payments made to “Russian entities” unconnected to the formal transfer fees.
In addition, the inquiry is looking into allegations that a player’s family received secret money. This investigation is part of the Premier League’s larger investigation of Chelsea’s financial affairs during the Abramovich era, which began in August.
Chelsea said in a statement: “These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They concern entities that were allegedly controlled by the club’s former owner and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club.
What’s more important is that the differences were discovered during the due diligence process carried out by Todd Boehly, Chelsea’s current owner since May 2022, rather than by external inspection. Chelsea immediately reported the separate payments to the Football Association (FA), Premier League, and UEFA after discovering them.
“Immediately following the completion of the purchase, the club proactively self-reported these matters to all applicable football regulators.
“In accordance with the club’s ownership group’s core principles of full compliance and transparency the club has proactively assisted the applicable regulators with their investigations and will continue to do so.”
If Chelsea be found guilty of breaking regulations, the consequences might be severe. The Premier League has the right to impose sanctions such as fines or point deductions. This news follows Chelsea’s agreement to pay UEFA £8.5 million for “instances of potentially incomplete financial reporting under the club’s previous ownership.”
The team is now bracing for a tense period as the investigation progresses, throwing doubt on their Premier League place.
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