FOOTBALL LONDON
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and the rest of their Premier League will be keeping a close eye on Chelsea’s ongoing situation regarding potential Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches. The Guardian and a group of international outlets, including the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and Germany’s Paper Trail Media, have launched a joint investigation, uncovering a series of payments spread out over a decade worth tens of millions of pounds during former owner Roman Abramovich’s time at Stamford Bridge.
These payments are reportedly ‘routed through offshore vehicles’ which belong to the Russian billionaire, with the transactions thought to be for the Blues’ benefit, resulting in some questioning whether the governing bodies were made aware of the accounts. The Guardian has reported that ‘four leading sports lawyers’ have told them that some of the payments may have broken both Premier League and UEFA regulations in regards to FFP, with football finance expert Kieran Maguire claiming that a financial penalty or burden is less likely than a points deduction.
