Chelsea handed $14.3M fine and suspended transfer ban for making ‘undisclosed payments’

By Canadian Press on March 16, 2026.

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea has been handed fines totaling 10.75 million pounds ($14.3 million) and a suspended transfer ban for breaking financial rules, the Premier League said Monday.

Sanction agreements were reached after Chelsea self-reported potential breaches to the Football Association that came to light in 2022 when American investors Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital led a consortium to buy out former owner Roman Abramovich.

“It was established that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties,” the league said in a statement.

“These payments were not disclosed to the football regulatory authorities at the time, including the Premier League.”

The competition said the payments “constituted a breach of the requirement to act in good faith towards the league.”

Chelsea accepted the fine ratified by an independent commission, the league said, and has been given an immediate nine-month academy transfer ban and a suspended one-year transfer ban for first-team players.

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The Associated Press