Chelsea’s Champions League hopes could be under threat
Chelsea are set to face more questions about their successful period under Roman Abramovich after a new batch of documents were leaked that revealed a series of payments that could’ve breached Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules as well as other laws.
A joint-investigation from The Guardian and other outlets around the world, files have been uncovered, detailing series of payments spread out over a decade worth tens of millions of pounds.
These payments were allegedly made through “offshore vehicles” which were in Abramovich’s name. The Russian Oligarch sold the club in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw his UK assets frozen.
This reportedly helped to give Chelsea the upper hand, however some have questioned if the governing bodies were notified.
Some of those to benefit from these payments include Eden Hazard’s agent and an associate of Premier League-winning manager, Antonio Conte.
The club’s finances are also under scrutiny while The Guardian has claimed ‘four leading sports lawyers’ have told them that the payments may have broken both Premier League and UEFA regulations in regards to FFP.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire suggested that a points deduction could be more likely than any form of financial penalty.
He said: “If there is proof that the club has used third party transactions to circumvent the profitability and sustainability rules then sanctions would be either financial or a points deduction.
“The latter is more likely as any commission investigating a club’s circumstances will want to put out a deterrent that dissuades others from repeating such behaviour.”
If found guilty and penalised with a points deduction, Chelsea could face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League as Mauricio Pochettino attempts to bring European football back to Stamford Bridge.
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