Chelsea were hit with 74 charges by the Football Association (FA) on Thursday (Sep 11) after the London club were accused of breaching regulations covering football agents, intermediaries and third-party investment in players spanning more than a decade.
The FA did not elaborate on the charges, but Chelsea said the matters were "self-reported" by the club after the change in ownership in May 2022.
"The conduct that is the subject of the charges ranges from 2009 to 2022 and primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010-11 to 2015-16 playing seasons," the FA said in a statement.
At the time, the London club was owned by Roman Abramovich, but the Russian billionaire put Chelsea up for sale in 2022 following sanctions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich, who bought the club in 2003, completed the sale to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
"During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules," Chelsea said in a statement.
"Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including the FA.
"The club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club's files and historical data.
"We will continue working collaboratively with the FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible."
The FA said Chelsea have until Sep 19 to respond to the charge.
A source at the club told Reuters they had opened their books to the FA so England's soccer governing body can make educated judgments on
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