Chelsea avoided a points deduction that would have sent them down from the Premier League after self-reporting financial rule breaches helped reduce an initial 15-point sanction, with the club ultimately overturning the penalty on appeal.
Written reasons published in the case between Chelsea and the FA reveal the governing body set a starting point of 15 points as the appropriate sanction over payments to unregistered agents. That figure was reduced by a third, to 10 points, to reflect the club's self-reporting and cooperation, before Chelsea appealed and had the deduction removed entirely.
Chelsea finished 13 points above West Ham, who were relegated in 18th place on 39 points. Had the 15-point deduction been applied during the 2025-26 campaign, Chelsea would have gone down.
What the charges covered
The FA charged Chelsea with 74 breaches of FA Rule E1.2 relating to payments to unregistered agents and the use of those agents between 2011 and 2018. Chelsea admitted all 74 charges.
An independent regulatory commission initially imposed a six-point deduction suspended until June 2027 and a £10m fine. Chelsea appealed the suspended points deduction, and an independent Appeal Board allowed the appeal, replacing it with a two-window transfer registration ban also suspended until June 30, 2027. The £10m fine was not subject to appeal and will be invested into grassroots football.
Earlier in 2026, Chelsea had also been fined £10m by the Premier League and handed a suspended transfer ban after admitting to £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents and third parties across the same period. That case involved transfers including Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle and Nemanja Matic. The FA and the source note there is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of those players. The Premier League said that fine would have been £20m but was halved because of Chelsea's proactive self-reporting and cooperation.
Self-reporting at the heart of the outcome
Chelsea's current ownership group, BlueCo, voluntarily reported potential historical rule breaches to several footballing regulators when it took over from Roman Abramovich in 2022, having identified financial irregularities during due diligence for the takeover.
Chelsea said the club had since worked openly with all regulators and voluntarily disclosed many thousands of documents. With settlement agreements already reached with UEFA and the Premier League, and the FA process now concluded, the club said all regulatory proceedings from the previous ownership had been brought to a close.
The FA said it is continuing to investigate individual misconduct arising from the case.
Chelsea also hold a separate nine-month academy transfer ban and a £750,000 fine related to the registration of academy players between 2019 and 2022.
