Everton fans have been out in force in the build-up to protest against the decision not to give Chelsea a points deduction over the £47m worth of secret payments.
On Monday, it emerged that the Premier League would not be taking points off Chelsea and would instead be handing out a fine and a suspended transfer ban despite a host of serious offences involving deals for some of the club’s biggest players.
That sanction has triggered a furious response from fans of rivals, not least at Everton, Nottingham Forest and Championship side Leicester City, who have all been docked points over the last three seasons.
Chelsea’s current US owners self-reported to the Premier League shortly after they took over the club, having been made aware of a report which had found that between 2011 and 2018 the club had made at least 36 secret payments through offshore entities associated with former supremo Roman Abramovich.
The payments were made to players, agents and staff and included the transfers of Eden Hazard, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle, Nemanja Matic and Samuel Eto’o.
During the period of time over which these payments were made, Chelsea, powered by many of the above players, won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, a Champions League, a Europa League and the League Cup.
At no point in the sanction agreement was there any mention of ‘sporting advantage’.
Instead, the Premier League praised the club for their co-operation and ruled that had the payments been declared then they would still not have breached profit and sustainability rules.
Instead of a deduction, Chelsea were handed a one-year transfer ban, suspended for two years, and hit with a fine viewed by many as paltry.
