Chelsea FC’s financial practices have been a much-discussed topic for years. Now the club has reported an unprecedented loss in the Premier League.
Conspicuously long contract terms, high transfer fees and a constant stream of new coaches – it is well known that Chelsea FC does not exactly stand for conservative management. Now the Blues have announced a record loss in a club statement. According to the statement, the deficit last season amounted to 262 million British pounds, which is the equivalent of around 300.8 million euros.
According to English media reports, including the BBC, Chelsea FC has set a dubious record: Never before has a single club reported a higher loss, with the previous “top mark” reportedly dating back to 2011 and held by Manchester City. The Skyblues reported a loss of 197.5 million pounds (around 226.7 million euros) at the time.
Chelsea’s loss is also noteworthy because the Londoners qualified for the Champions League last season, won the Conference League and, above all, the highly lucrative Club World Cup in the USA – and also recorded a turnover of 490.9 million pounds (around 563.5 million euros). However, the income from the Club World Cup is likely to have a major impact on the current season’s balance sheet.
In addition to the estimated €1 billion in transfer fees that Chelsea have spent on new signings since the change of ownership in 2022, UEFA has also asked the 2021 Champions League winners to pay up. Chelsea had to pay a fine of more than 30 million euros. The reason: violations of Financial Fair Play.
