Chelsea
are set to face further scrutiny from the Premier League over reports of
payments connected to the club's former owner Roman Abramovich.
The Guardian has reported that Abramovich, a Russian billionaire who owned
the club for 19 years until he was sanctioned by the British Government last
year, used offshore companies to make payments which appear to have been for
the club's benefit.
The Premier League is already investigating the club after their new owners
became aware of "potentially incomplete financial reporting" linked to the
Abramovich era while completing their due diligence as part of the takeover
and self-reported the information they discovered to the league and other
regulators.
The Premier League has not commented on Wednesday's report, which appeared
in The Guardian as part of a collaboration led by The Bureau of
Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), but it is likely the league will now look
closely at the information which has been reported.
A Chelsea spokesperson said: "These allegations pre-date the club's current
ownership. They are based on documents which the club has not been shown and
do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club."
Chelsea's stance under their new owners has been consistent - to examine any
allegations of impropriety under the previous ownership as soon as they
become aware of them.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and invested millions as the club enjoyed
unprecedented success, including Champions League victories in 2012 and 2021
as well as five Premier League titles.
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