The Chelsea club is in turmoil, under threat of severe sanctions.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (CIJI) is clear: Chelsea, in their most glorious period, cheated. Under the presidency of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, between 2003 and 2022, the Blues benefited from a hidden financing system which allowed them to fly under the radar of financial fair play for years.
The conclusions of the ICJI investigation are relayed today by the Guardian, which unpacks this “Cyprus Confidential” which is so embarrassing for the London club. Millions of euros would thus have escaped the vigilance of the control authorities to pay players’ and coaches’ agents in particular. A specific case is put forward: that of Antonio Conte, whose representative Federico Pastorello received 11.2 million euros from an offshore company based in the British Virgin Islands and belonging to Roman Abramovich just before the arrival of the Italian coach on the bench, in 2016.
Less points in the championship?
The transfer of former Belgian big name Eden Hazard would have given rise to a similar setup, among other suspicious movements with regard to the rules in force at the level of the Premier League and UEFA – the English football league carefully studied recently the past transactions which led the Brazilian Willian or the Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o to the Blues. In 2023, UEFA imposed a hefty fine on Chelsea for breaches of financial fair play; the sanction this time could be much heavier. A withdrawal of points is particularly mentioned in the Premier League.
