It doesn't seem so at this stage, however finally this may rely upon the end result of the respective circumstances.
The sheer variety of accusations that Chelsea are going through – unprecedented in scale for the FA – attracts inevitable comparisons with {the catalogue} of greater than 100 expenses levelled at Manchester Metropolis in 2013 for alleged breaches of Premier League guidelines. Metropolis deny wrongdoing and are await a ruling from an unbiased fee that held a listening to final yr.
Each circumstances are very severe for the golf equipment involved, protecting a number of years, with each going through the opportunity of a factors deduction, relying on the end result. Chelsea's house owners say they reported themselves after discovering “incomplete monetary data” had been submitted. Equally, a few of Metropolis's expenses relate to an alleged breach of guidelines requiring golf equipment to supply “correct monetary data.”
There are key variations, nevertheless.
Metropolis are contesting their expenses, whereas Chelsea aren't thought to have challenged theirs, though they may enchantment towards any punishment.
Chelsea's alleged wrongdoing is narrower in scope; specifically referring to brokers funds throughout six seasons. Metropolis's is extra intensive, together with allegations of failing to supply full particulars of income, its ‘associated events', and its working prices, together with participant and supervisor pay. It additionally stands accused of breaching Uefa monetary honest play guidelines, and revenue and sustainability guidelines throughout 9 seasons.
The FA expenses towards Chelsea relate to a earlier period at Stamford Bridge, when Abramovich owned the membership. In distinction, the costs Metropolis are going through relate to their present Abu Dhabi possession.
Moreover, Chelsea declare they've proven “unprecedented transparency” by self-reporting the matter to regulators when discovering it, then “giving complete entry to the membership's information and historic information”.
In distinction, Metropolis's allegations solely emerged after inside paperwork have been leaked, they usually have been charged with a number of counts of failing to co-operate with the Premier League's investigation.
Metropolis strongly deny the costs and we have no idea the end result of the listening to that happened in entrance of an unbiased fee between September and December 2024.
All this has resulted in several sanctions from Uefa. Whereas European soccer's governing physique threw the e book at Metropolis in 2020 with a two-year ban (albeit subsequently overturned after an enchantment, with a 30m euro advantageous diminished to 10m euros), they fined Chelsea £8.6m in 2023.
