Chelsea are under the spotlight after being hit with a wave of historic charges by the FA . This comes over after the club allegedly mishandled agent dealings.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea hit with FA charges
Chelsea have been called out for 74 breaches of agent rules, mostly from the Roman Abramovich years. The scanner is mainly on the period between 2010 and 2016. At that time, the club was making big-name signings and chasing glory on all fronts.
Deals involving Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Willian are believed to be at the heart of the issue. The club has until September 19 to respond, with the FA already digging deep into the files. Importantly, these breaches were flagged by the Blues themselves. This took place during due diligence checks before Clearlake-Boehly took the ownership. That shows the new owners are aiming to keep things clean.
The FA charges are historical in nature, meaning they don’t accuse the current ownership of foul play. Still, they come at a time when the club can least afford another controversy. The charges stem from agent payments not being properly recorded.
Possible punishments and the Blues’ stance
The Blues have drafted in one of the top accountancy firms to untangle the mess. They want to prove that there was no sporting advantage gained. The FA could hand down anything from a fine to harsher measures like a points deduction or transfer ban.
While that threat looms large, the club’s transparency in reporting the breaches could work in their favour. Sources close to the situation suggest there’s hope the club will avoid any punishment that hits the pitch directly.
For now, the West London side are waiting for the FA’s ruling before making their next move. The new ownership has been clear about running things by the book. That might just be their saving grace. Although, fans will be bracing themselves until the final verdict lands.
Author’s Opinion:
Chelsea’s honesty in self-reporting may soften the blow, but the scale of the breaches is still damaging. Even if no sporting punishment comes, the club’s image takes another hit in an era where stability is badly needed.
