The need "to punish the club and to vindicate those clubs who have complied with the relevant rules" is referenced. The Premier League handed Chelsea a record £10m fine. But by avoiding a sporting sanction such as a points deduction, has the league failed to properly punish one of English football's most serious cheating scandals? After all, the Premier League accepts that this case involved "not only obvious and deliberate breaches of the rules but... deception and concealment in relation to financial matters". Stars who helped Chelsea to become one of world football's most successful clubs during that period, when eight major trophies were won.

Source: BBC March 17, 2026 14:37 UTC