Stefan Borson: This is how Chelsea gained sporting advantage while being charged by FA
Chelsea appear to have gained a sporting advantage during the period their FA charges relate to after generating significant profits on player sales.
Chelsea have been under investigation since BlueCo, which is spearheaded by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, took over the club from Roman Abramovich in May 2022.
The Blues reported themselves to the Premier League, Uefa and the FA after discovering during the takeover process “incomplete financial information” had been submitted to the football authorities between 2012 and 2019.
Chelsea were charged by the FA on 11 September with 74 alleged rule breaches relating to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022, with events between the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons the primary focus.
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider there are “strong arguments” Chelsea have gained a sporting advantage following the charges.
Chelsea likely to land points deduction
Chelsea reached an £8.7million settlement with Uefa in July 2023 due to the governing body having a statute of limitations that meant it was able to look back only as far as the 2018-19 season, while a Premier League investigation is still ongoing.
However, Chelsea are likely to land a points deduction if they are proven to have gained a sporting advantage by the FA.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: “I do think there are strong arguments that it’s sporting advantage.
“It seems to me that on the face of it, Chelsea were able to sign players that maybe they wouldn’t have been able to sign. Those players went on to be very successful. Some of those players went on to generate profits on sales.
“Some of those players were central to the competitions and revenues generated over that period. And on that basis, it seems that there was a sporting advantage.
“I’ve not seen any good arguments really to say that there wasn’t any sporting advantage, but that’s the nub of the issue for Chelsea.
“I mean, they are briefing heavily that they don’t believe there’s any sporting advantage, which confirms that they also agree that the nub of the whole sanctioning process here is the sporting advantage because that’s going to be a sporting sanction, and sporting sanction really means points.
“It’s very hard to see what else it could be. There’s nothing else you can offer really, so we’ll see.”
Enzo Maresca‘s side have until 19 September to respond to the FA charges.
Premier League clubs to demand Chelsea points deduction
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider Premier League clubs will demand Chelsea are deducted points after allegations emerged around Eden Hazard’s move to Stamford Bridge.
The Times reported in April Manchester United missed out on signing Hazard in 2012 after they refused to pay his agent, John Bico, a secret multi-million-pound payment, which would have breached the governing body’s rules.
The newspaper said a Premier League investigation was continuing into allegations an offshore company belonging to Abramovich made a £6m payment in 2013 to Bico via a Dubai firm after Chelsea signed Hazard for £32m from Lille in 2012.
The former Blues winger registered 110 goals and 88 assists in 352 appearances at Stamford Bridge, where he claimed six trophies before joining Real Madrid in a £130m deal in 2019.
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