Chelsea have been charged with 74 alleged breaches of Football Association regulations covering 13 years between 2009 and 2022.
The FA confirmed on Thursday that the charges relate mainly to seasons between 2010-11 and 2015-16, when Roman Abramovich owned the club.
In a statement, the governing body accused Chelsea of breaking rules concerning football agents, intermediaries, and third-party investment in players. Chelsea must reply by September 19.
The charges have been lodged more than three years after Abramovich was forced to sell the club following sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom government after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The Russian billionaire was disqualified as a Premier League director in March 2022 and subsequently sold the club to the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-led consortium that summer.
Chelsea said in their response that the alleged breaches were uncovered during the takeover process and were immediately reported to the authorities.
The potential sanctions for Chelsea have not been detailed, although punishments could range from financial penalties to more serious measures, including transfer restrictions or a points deduction.
This is not the first time Chelsea’s historical finances have drawn scrutiny since the ownership change.
The club were fined £8.6 million by UEFA in 2023 for breaking Financial Fair Play rules between 2012 and 2019 after submitting ‘incomplete financial information’.
That penalty also stemmed from information provided by the new ownership.
Chelsea’s cooperation with the FA is expected to be taken into account as the case progresses, but the charges underline the scale of the alleged irregularities during the Abramovich era.
