**Chelsea have been fined just under £27m for breaching Uefa’s financial rules.**
As well as imposing the punishment, Europe’s governing body warned that the club could be fined a further €60 (around £51.2m) for any subsequent breaches over the next four years.
It also means Chelsea, who qualified for the Champions League, could be prevented from registering new players for the tournament for the forthcoming season unless the club have a positive transfer balance by the end of this summer’s transfer window.
The sanction relates to Uefa’s football earnings rule and having a squad-cost ratio – the proportion of their income paid out in wages – above 80%.
In a statement, Chelsea said: “The club has worked closely and transparently with Uefa to provide a full and detailed breakdown of its financial reporting, which indicates that the financial performance of the club is on a strong upwards trajectory.
“Chelsea FC greatly values its relationship with Uefa and considered it important to bring this matter to a swift conclusion by entering into a settlement agreement.”
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