Does Chelsea's punishment fit the crime?
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Chelsea financial charges
Chelsea have been fined 10.75 million pounds by the Premier League for a number of unreported payments totaling 47.5 million pounds to 36 different entities between 2011 and 2018.
I'd like some individuals to be named. I'd like some executives who did sign off on this stuff at Chelsea to be named and ideally punished. Let's just wait for the FA to do its work.
Manchester City 115 charges
If Man City are guilty, the Premier League have basically said that PSR is the most important thing to them, so we will now look at potentially 13 or 14 PSR breaches which are some of those 115 charges.
Chelsea punishment consistency
It doesn't appear to fit precedent. The Premier League have just got this wrong; they've given Chelsea too much mitigation. It's a series of transgressions around the transfer system, so the most fitting punishment should have been a transfer ban.
Chelsea's defense
The club always felt that a financial penalty would be fair in the sense that it wasn't under our watch. The fact that I can't remember a club telling on themselves to this degree—it's extraordinary cooperation and collaboration.
Premier League disciplinary process
The Premier League has to incentivize clubs to act in good faith. If you take away the mitigation and the reward, all you're doing is saying, 'Guys, just lie. If you get caught, there's going to be no benefit for you cooperating.'
The Premier League statement makes the point that this fine is the record fine they've ever hit anyone with, but in real terms, it's not the biggest fine at all when you account for inflation.
Chelsea transfer strategy
Weirdly, there is an argument that Chelsea could do with a transfer ban. They stop wasting money on players that aren't good enough and they actually try and work with what they've got.
