Chelsea are at risk of facing a points deduction due to revelations about how former owner Roman Abramovich funded the club's success during his ownership.
Leaked files expose secret payments that may have violated football rules, including financial fair play regulations. The Guardian and international partners uncovered Abramovich's offenses, with experts speculating on potential punishments for Chelsea.
The Premier League may deduct points as a consequence of the illegal transactions, which raised questions about their declaration in accounts submitted to football governing bodies. Notably, payments benefiting Chelsea, including those linked to transfers involving Eden Hazard, Willian, and Samuel Eto'o, were part of the uncovered transactions.
Ongoing investigations by the Premier League and the FA, spanning from 2012 to 2019, are scrutinizing Chelsea's finances, while UEFA has already fined the club £8.6 million. New documents, both within and outside the examined period, add further scrutiny to whether Abramovich repeatedly violated rules for the club's benefit.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire outlines potential sanctions if Chelsea is found guilty of breaching regulations.
"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," he said, via Sportbible.
"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."
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