Chelsea FC: The Masters of Financial Loopholes?
As I sit down to write this article, I am reminded of the age-old adage: ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ And Chelsea FC, it seems, have found a way to exploit yet another financial loophole to get around Financial Fair Play (FFP) and Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
According to reports, the Blues will clear any FFP and PSR rules for this season and do not need to sell any players by the end of June to comply. But how, you ask? Well, it’s quite simple really. They’ve decided to sell their Cobham training ground to themselves (a sister company).
Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, a valuable asset
This clever move will allow them to make a profit, just as they have done with some Stamford Bridge Hotels recently. It’s a clever tactic, and one that has been employed by the club before. Who can forget the time they started putting players on long-term contracts to amortize the fee of signing them over a longer period of time? It was a clever move, but one that was eventually outlawed by the football authorities.
But it seems that Chelsea have found another way to exploit the system. And it’s not just them - other clubs have also been known to use this tactic to get around FFP and PSR rules. It’s a game of cat and mouse, where the clubs are constantly looking for ways to stay one step ahead of the regulators.
The never-ending battle between clubs and regulators
As football finance expert Kieran Maguire pointed out, the owners of Premier League clubs had the option to outlaw this practice, but they chose not to. It’s a decision that has come back to haunt them, as clubs like Chelsea continue to find ways to exploit the system.
So, what does this mean for the future of football? Will we see more clubs following in Chelsea’s footsteps, or will the regulators finally catch up and close this loophole? Only time will tell.
The complex world of football finance
One thing is for sure, though - Chelsea FC have once again proven themselves to be masters of finding ways to get around the rules. And as long as they continue to do so, the rest of the football world will be left playing catch-up.
