Chelsea Fined £10 Million for FA Rule Breaches, Avoid Points Deduction

Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Sydney Super Cup - Chelsea v Western Sydney Wanderers - Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia - July 28, 2026 Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso during the match REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Sydney Super Cup - Chelsea v Western Sydney Wanderers - Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia - July 28, 2026 Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso during the match REUTERS/Hollie Adams
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Chelsea Fined £10 Million for FA Rule Breaches, Avoid Points Deduction

Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Sydney Super Cup - Chelsea v Western Sydney Wanderers - Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia - July 28, 2026 Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso during the match REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Sydney Super Cup - Chelsea v Western Sydney Wanderers - Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia - July 28, 2026 Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso during the match REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Chelsea have been fined £10 million ($13.41 million) by the English FA after admitting to multiple historical breaches of regulations, the governing body said on Friday.

The breaches were self-reported by Chelsea following its takeover by US investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital in May 2022.

The Premier League club avoided a points deduction after successfully appealing part of the original punishment. However, Chelsea will face a suspended two-window registration ban through to June 30, 2027.

After reviewing the case, an independent Regulatory Commission initially imposed a suspended six-point deduction, but that sanction was later set aside on appeal.

"Chelsea FC admitted to 74 breaches of FA Rule E1.2 prior to a hearing and an independent Regulatory Commission imposed a six-point deduction, which was to be suspended until 30 June 2027, and a £10 million fine," the FA said in a statement.

"The club appealed against the suspended points deduction and an independent Appeal Board allowed the appeal and set aside this sanction following a further hearing."

Rule breaches included of regulations relating to third-party investments and on working with intermediaries, among others.

The £10 million fine was not subject to appeal, with the FA adding that the full amount will be directed towards grassroots football initiatives.

"In 2022, the club self-reported potential historical rule breaches to all applicable regulators," Chelsea said in a statement.

"Following that report, it has worked openly and transparently with all regulators, including voluntarily and proactively disclosing many thousands of documents."

The latest sanction follows other financial penalties imposed on Chelsea for historical regulatory violations.

In March, the club was fined a record £10.75 million for breaches of the Premier League regulations.

Chelsea were also handed a one-year first-team transfer ban, suspended for two years, along with an immediate nine-month ban on academy player transfers.

 

 

 

 



Late Gvardiol Strike Earns Maresca Winning Start and Brighton Hammer Villa

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn
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Late Gvardiol Strike Earns Maresca Winning Start and Brighton Hammer Villa

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn

City's post-Pep Guardiola era began with late drama as Josko Gvardiol's stoppage-time winner secured a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in Enzo Maresca's first Premier League game in charge on Sunday.

The defender thought he had been denied when his close-range finish was ruled offside, only for a VAR review to overturn the decision and spark wild celebrations at the Etihad Stadium after Marc Guehi had earlier hauled City level.

"Everyone is proud in the moment, it's the opening game of the season and we know how important it is, especially with all the changes we've had in the previous weeks," Gvardiol told Sky Sports. "We need to enjoy this, we deserve it and I'm ⁠happy with the ⁠three points."

The hosts had been stunned in the 26th minute when City failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Rayan to release Evanilson down the right, and the Brazilian's low cross found Marcus Tavernier unmarked at the far post for a simple finish.

But Maresca's side kept pressing and were rewarded in the 84th minute when Guehi rose highest to power home ⁠a corner. Gvardiol won it in the 91st minute when Rayan Cherki poked the ball through a gap in the back line and the defender swivelled before slotting home.

Erling Haaland, sporting a new buzz cut after ditching his trademark flowing blonde hair, had earlier squandered a good opportunity when he misjudged his run and headed Nico O'Reilly's inviting cross away from goal.

Aston Villa suffered a nightmare opening match as they were beaten 4-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion, with all the goals and a red card for Joao Gomes coming in the first half. An own goal by Victor Lindelof was ⁠followed by ⁠a Maxim De Cuyper finish. Jack Hinshelwood then scored twice in less than two minutes.

Villa, who lost key players Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa in a transfer-window exodus, went behind in the eighth minute when Pau Torres played a loose ball back into his own area, allowing De Cuyper to pounce, Reuters reported. The Belgian's shot struck the post before rebounding in off Lindelof.

Worse followed in the 18th minute when Georginio Rutter delivered a cross that De Cuyper converted from close range.

Hinshelwood swept home the third in the 30th minute before striking again barely a minute later when Villa lost possession straight from the restart.

Villa were reduced to 10 men when Gomes was shown a red card for violent conduct in the 40th minute.


Norris Wins F1's Dutch Grand Prix after Battle with Antonelli

First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026.  EPA/Sem van der Wal
First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026. EPA/Sem van der Wal
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Norris Wins F1's Dutch Grand Prix after Battle with Antonelli

First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026.  EPA/Sem van der Wal
First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026. EPA/Sem van der Wal

McLaren’s Lando Norris passed Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton in the space of a single lap before holding on to win the Dutch Grand Prix for back-to-back Formula 1 victories Sunday.

Norris started on pole but was overtaken by Antonelli's Mercedes at a restart after the race was stopped for a heavy crash by home hero Max Verstappen, who was unhurt, shortly after the start.

Norris reeled in Antonelli before passing him around the outside of the first corner in a daring move on lap 54 of 72, then took the lead from Ferrari's Hamilton before the lap was over.

The defending champion held on with old tires to take the win. “This fight is still on," he said over team radio.

“The move (to pass Antonelli) was good. I knew I was not going to get many chances. Every lap I spent behind him my chances got lower and lower,” Norris said. “Well played from my part...I probably had one chance.”

Antonelli was second after his Mercedes teammate George Russell was ordered to move out of his way, following a failed gamble on a tire change by Antonelli. Russell clung on to finish third ahead of Hamilton, The Associated Press reported.

There was tension at Mercedes as both Antonelli and Russell criticized the team's decisions over the radio.

Antonelli called his team's strategy “too risky” when the team congratulated him on second place, while Russell earlier seemed to object to being asked to give way to his teammate.

“Is he fighting for the win? Or is he planning to catch Norris?” Russell questioned, at a point where Norris was far ahead of both.

Russell relented after the race and said he felt Mercedes had made the right decision to avoid the two battling for position as Hamilton closed in behind.

Antonelli “would have overtaken anyway so it was the right decision,” Russell said. "It’s been a strong weekend overall so I’ll take the positives.”

There was a half-hour delay after Verstappen slammed into the wall on a damp first lap, stopping the race and ensuring a nightmare end to his last home race in the Netherlands for the foreseeable future.

The Dutch Grand Prix is dropping off the schedule after this season and the many orange-clad Dutch fans who turned up to support Verstappen instead saw Norris and his orange McLaren take the win.

Charles Leclerc was fifth on another disappointing day for Ferrari ahead of its home race in Italy in two weeks’ time. Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri was sixth after running in the top three early on, and Liam Lawson salvaged seventh for Red Bull after being called in to replace the injured Isack Hadjar.

Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Audi, with Fernando Alonso ninth in the best result of an otherwise-disastrous 2026 for Aston Martin. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.


Man City Set to Sign Morocco Midfielder Bouaddi from Lille

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Man City Set to Sign Morocco Midfielder Bouaddi from Lille

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Manchester City are set to sign midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French side Lille, with British media reporting the Premier League club could pay up to 100 million euros ($116.80 million) for the 18-year-old.

The Athletic reported City will pay an initial fee of 95 million plus up to five million in add-ons for the Morocco international.

Bouaddi would become one of City's most expensive signings, following the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a reported 116 million pounds ($158.18 million) deal earlier this summer, Reuters reported.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Bouaddi made 30 Ligue 1 appearances as Lille finished third and secured qualification for the Champions League.

Bouaddi also made his senior debut for Morocco in May and was later included in the country's 26-man World Cup squad. He made his tournament debut against Brazil and started five of Morocco's six matches as they reached the quarter-finals.