Premier League Reacts After Calls for Chelsea to Be Stripped of 2017 EPL Title
- The Premier League defended its decision to fine Chelsea £10 million over £47 million in illegal payments made during the Roman Abramovich era
- Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino argued that Chelsea should have been stripped of their 2017 Premier League title
- The FA overturned a suspended six-point deduction against Chelsea on appeal, though investigations into individuals involved in the case are still ongoing
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
The Premier League has pushed back against criticism that Chelsea were let off too leniently following their £47 million illegal payments scandal, insisting the £10 million fine issued to the club was a record sanction and that the process was properly overseen.
The controversy surrounds payments Chelsea made to agents and intermediaries between 2011 and 2018, during the ownership of Roman Abramovich.
Source: Getty Images
When Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover in 2022, the new owners voluntarily brought the irregular transactions to the attention of authorities.
Seven of those payments, totalling £5.6 million, were connected to an unregistered agent involved in the transfer of Eden Hazard.
The Premier League fined Chelsea £10 million as a result.
Pochettino calls for 2017 title to be stripped
The fine drew sharp criticism from multiple quarters, most notably from former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side finished as runners-up to Chelsea in the 2016/17 season, Tuko Sports reports.
Hazard was a key figure for Chelsea that campaign.
"If they admitted they broke the rules, the Premier League title was for the second-best team," Pochettino said.
Tottenham declined to comment on the matter, whereas Everton supporters were also vocal in their frustration.
The Merseyside club received a points deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), and many fans felt the contrast with Chelsea's outcome was deeply unfair.
Premier League defends its handling of the case
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters addressed the criticism last month, arguing that Chelsea's situation was fundamentally different from PSR cases, The Mirror reports.
"It's historic. It's very different to the PSR cases. In the case of Chelsea, the new owners came forward with all of the information and we decided to enter into a sanction agreement," he said.
"That was overseen by a commission as well and part of the role of that commission is to ensure that sanction is not unduly lenient."
The league further argued that even accounting for the illegal payments, Chelsea would not have breached the PSR threshold.
Officials also noted that the £10 million represented a record fine in the circumstances and that Chelsea demonstrated full transparency throughout the process.
FA investigation into the matter continues
The Football Association conducted its own separate inquiry into the matter.
It initially handed Chelsea a fine alongside a suspended six-point deduction, but that points penalty was later overturned on appeal and ruled an "excessive sanction."
Whether the FA, as the governing body of English football, holds the authority to strip a top-flight club of a league title remains legally unclear.
However, the FA's investigation has not been fully concluded.
Attention is now expected to turn to the agents and intermediaries involved in the irregular payments, given that Abramovich and the club employees connected to those transactions are no longer at Chelsea.
Most expensive Premier League transfers
In another development, Legit.ng reported about the top 10 most expensive Premier League transfers after Manchester City agreed a £125 million deal for Enzo Fernandez.
The list features record-breaking moves involving Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester City.
Source: Legit.ng
