Roman Abramovich's dream of winning the Champions League came true in 2012. Photo: Getty Images/Ian MacNicol
Just 11 Days after Chelsea won the first European Cup in their history, the culmination of nine years of Roman Abramovich's ambition and even more investment, Europe's most sought-after young talent published a tweet that excited football.
«I'm signing a Champions League winner,» Eden Hazard tweeted, ending the Premier League's long pursuit of the incredibly talented Belgian number 10. Manchester City, the reigning English champions, wanted him. Manchester United, who were under Sir Alex Ferguson for another season, courted the player. But Hazard wanted to join Chelsea, who won a thrilling Champions League final against Bayern Munich in the German club's own stadium.
For Abramovich, it was further proof that he can still attract the biggest players despite fierce competition. But now, 11 years later, with the Russian under British government sanctions and the British law firms that once controlled every word written about him melting away, the Chelsea years are open to new scrutiny. In this regard, secret Cyprus documents leaked to The Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism contain some startling allegations. Charges that could result in Chelsea breaching UEFA and Premier League Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, with possible sanctions of all kinds.
In 2012, Hazard was represented by Cameroonian agent John Biko-Penake, who had a client in whom all sporting directors and managers were interested. But what incentives were offered to the agent?
The Cyprus documents allege that on March 29, 2013, British Virgin Islands (BVI)-based Leiston Holdings paid Dubai-based Gulf Value FZE €7 million for unspecified research and advisory services. This contract was signed on behalf of Gulf Value FZE by Bico-Penaque. No further information was provided to the authors of the charges regarding whether this payment was disclosed to authorities.
Hazard played for Chelsea for seven years before leaving for Real Madrid for around €100m (£87m) in 2019. Although he was on the teams that won two Europa League titles with Chelsea, he never won the Champions League with the club. . Nevertheless, he was the club's best player in those seven years — a brilliant if sometimes eccentric talent who was voted PFA Player of the Year by his peers in 2015.
Eden Hazard may be considered the best signing Chelsea have ever made. Photo: PA/Bradley Collyer
In terms of his contribution to Chelsea — and the sale price he received when he left — the Belgian stands as perhaps Chelsea's best signing yet. the club have only ever enjoyed success since Frank Lampard's arrival from West Ham in 2001.
In other revelations found in the Cypriot stash, Italian agent Federico Pastorello refused to comment on an agreement he had signed with another company to British Virgin Islands, owned by Abramovich, July 18, 2017. Conibair Holdings in the British Virgin Islands was contracted to pay Pastorello £10 million. This was 75 percent of Excellence Investment Fund, a company registered in the United States.
On the same day in July, then-Chelsea manager Antonio Conte signed a new two-year contract worth around £19 million. In 2017, he won the Premier League in his first season at the club. Conte's relationship with Chelsea ended in scandal the following summer. Pastorello denied that Conte was his client.
All payments to agents must be made in full view of the tax authorities and form part of financial fair play compliance, which helps the club obtain a license to participate in UEFA competitions. Failure to comply with the Premier League FFP requirements, now known as the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), may result in more severe penalties.
The accusations spread further. Leiston Holdings is believed to have paid €12 million in the summer of 2013 to British Virgin Islands companies controlled by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. Kerimov was the owner of Anzhi Makhachkala in Dagestan, and shortly after that, the club's star players Willian and Samuel Eto'o. arrived at Chelsea.
Willian's last-minute decision to turn down a proposed move to Chelsea's rivals Tottenham in favor of Stamford Bridge proved so popular among Chelsea fans that they wrote about it a song in his honor. Brazilian, now at Fulham. was a key player for Chelsea during his seven years at the club.
Willian turned down a move to Tottenham in favor of Chelsea. Photo: Reuters/Lawrence Griffith
It is alleged that Leiston Holdings paid £1 million to the Association des Jeunes Espoirs de Bobo. This is the former club of Burkina Faso prodigy Bertrand Traore. The contract was signed by Traore's brother David. The signing of Bertrand, who now plays for Aston Villa, was one of the deals believed to have been part of FIFA's investigation into Chelsea in 2019, which resulted in a two-window transfer ban being imposed.
Yes allegations of further Payment of €250,000 to former Denmark international Frank Arnesen, who was Abramovich's sporting director. Arnesen told The Guardian it was a discretionary bonus which he expected to be paid by the club and which had been reported to the relevant tax authorities.
As for Chelsea's new owner, the allegations are based on documents, the club remains to be seen. None of the club employees they were asked about in connection with these transactions are no longer at the club. The Cyprus stash was as much a revelation to the American private equity consortium that now owns the club led by Behdad Eghbali as it was to the rest of the world.
The club has so far complied. as best as possible, which will be a relief for the Premier League and UEFA, who are more used to falling out with those they suspect of breaking the rules. Question for the club and regulators: what next?
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