UEFA have officially fined Chelsea €31 million for breaching financial fair play (FFP) regulations relating to the financial years ending in 2023 and 2024.

This comes after an investigation into the club’s financial reporting, with UEFA confirming that Chelsea have agreed to a settlement.

The settlement means Chelsea accept the breach and will pay a €31m penalty based on the size and nature of the infringement.

Crucially, the Blues have also committed to targets to ensure compliance with UEFA’s financial rules moving forward.

But this isn’t just a slap on the wrist. UEFA have made it clear: should Chelsea breach financial rules again, a further €60 million fine will be imposed.

This punishment serves as a stark warning to Chelsea’s ownership group, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. Since taking over in 2022, the new owners have spent over £1 billion in the transfer market, aiming to build a squad for the future.

While they’ve used long-term contracts to spread transfer costs over multiple years (a tactic called amortisation), UEFA have since clamped down on this practice, and this fine shows that Chelsea’s aggressive strategy hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Rather than challenge the ruling, Chelsea chose to cooperate with UEFA and reach a settlement. This likely helped avoid harsher penalties such as a ban from European competitions or a larger fine. The club have also committed to meeting financial compliance targets, giving UEFA confidence in their future conduct.