Chelsea fined £10m and handed suspended transfer ban for FA rule breaches

LONDON, England 

Chelsea have been handed a suspended two-window transfer ban and fined £10million by the Football Association (FA) for historical breaches of agent rules.

The Blues have, however, avoided a suspended six-point deduction following a successful appeal.

Chelsea were charged in September 2025 for 74 breaches of FA rules dating from 2009 to 2022, when Roman Abramovich owned the club. The charges related to agent regulations, regulations on working with intermediaries, and third-party investment in players regulations.

The majority of the charges related to events which occurred between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 seasons.

Current Chelsea owners BlueCo self-reported the breaches to the FA after discovering them during the takeover process in 2022 and have been cooperative with the investigation.

In a statement, Chelsea said they were pleased with the outcome of the decision and added that they were grateful to UEFA, the Premier League and the FA for their engagement with the club.

In March, Chelsea were fined £10.75m by the Premier League and handed a nine-month academy transfer ban, while in 2023 they were fined £8.6m by UEFA for "submitting incomplete financial information" between 2012 and 2019.

“Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm that a final decision has been reached by The FA’s judicial bodies in relation to historical regulatory matters that were self-reported by the Club,” Chelsea said.

“In 2022, the Club self-reported potential historical rule breaches to all applicable regulators. Following that report, it has worked openly and transparently with all regulators, including voluntarily and proactively disclosing many thousands of documents,” the statement read.

“As previously announced, settlement agreements have been entered into with UEFA and the Premier League concerning the same self-reported regulatory matters and topics that have been addressed before.

“The Club is pleased to confirm that, now The FA process has concluded, this brings all regulatory proceedings against the Club to a close.We are grateful to UEFA, the Premier League and The FA for their engagement with the Club throughout these processes.”

The FA also released a statement in which they confirmed they were “continuing to investigate individual misconduct arising out of this case”.

“A financial sanction of £10 million and a suspended two-window registration ban have been imposed on Chelsea FC for breaches of The Football Association [The FA] Football Agent Regulations, Regulations on Working with Intermediaries and Third Party Investment in Players Regulations,” the FA statement read.

“The FA charged Chelsea FC with 74 breaches of FA Rule E1.2. after its current ownership self-reported misconduct upon its purchase of the club. The FA is continuing to investigate individual misconduct arising out of this case.

“Chelsea FC admitted to the 74 breaches of FA Rule E1.2 prior to a hearing and an independent Regulatory Commission imposed a six-point deduction, which was to be suspended until 30 June 2027, and a £10 million fine.

“The club appealed against the suspended points deduction and an independent Appeal Board allowed the appeal and set aside this sanction following a further hearing. In its place, the Appeal Board imposed a registration ban for two complete and consecutive transfer windows, which is suspended until 30 June 2027.

“The £10 million fine imposed by the Regulatory Commission was not subject to appeal, and the full amount will be invested into grassroots football.”

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Uganda Rights groups seek release of Kizza Besigye, Erias Lukwago over health concerns

KAMPALA, Uganda 

A coalition of human rights organisations has urged Ugandan authorities to immediately release opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-counsel, Erias Lukwago, over concerns about their deteriorating health in state custody.

The call follows Besigye's collapse during a High Court session in Kampala on July 29, after which he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

In a statement, the Pan African Solidarity Network said Besigye, 70, was under military guard in hospital after collapsing in court, while Kampala Lord Mayor and lawyer Lukwago remained in Luzira Prison despite reportedly needing urgent specialised treatment.

The coalition described the pair's condition as a humanitarian emergency, alleging that both men had been denied adequate medical care while in detention.

"The world has been warned. Dr Kizza Besigye and Erias Lukwago must not be allowed to die in state custody," the statement read.

The coalition accused Ugandan authorities of denying the pair access to specialised medical care and that Besigye's continued detention followed his abduction from Nairobi in November 2024 and transfer to Kampala without following legal extradition procedures.

It also said the government ignored a January 2025 Supreme Court ruling in Uganda ordering Besigye’s release, and questioned the prosecution’s credibility, citing contradictions in the state’s evidence.

On Lukwago, the coalition said authorities had denied him specialised medical evacuation to India despite warnings from national referral doctors that his condition was life-threatening.

"Jailed on trumped-up treason charges, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago (56) is experiencing severe systemic health failure. A medical evaluation from the Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital explicitly notes severe spinal complications and advanced hypertension," the statement said.

The coalition called on the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) and Uganda's international partners to intervene by pressing for the immediate release of the two men, imposing targeted sanctions on officials it blamed for the alleged violations and suspending military assistance to Uganda.

"We call on the Government of Uganda, the African Union, the United Nations, Uganda's international partners, and all defenders of human rights to act immediately to secure their release, protect their lives, and uphold the rule of law. Every hour matters," the coalition urged.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco marks 27th anniversary of accession to throne

TETOUAN, Morocco 

As immigration officials struggled to contain a mass influx of migrants into Spain’s African enclave of Ceuta, Morocco’s king marked the 27th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

A long list of world leaders, heads of state, and governors sent congratulatory messages to King Mohammed VI as he celebrated Throne Day at the Royal Palace in the city of Tetouan.

In an address earlier in the week, he reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to advancing its development agenda.

The king also highlighted the country’s stability, security, and growing role as a respected and influential partner on the regional and international stage.

On Friday, it was being reported that almost 50,000 of the estimated 60,000 people that cross from Morocco to the Spanish territory in a 24-hour period had returned home.

FIFA’s President scraps controversial World Cup private investment plan

GENEVA, Switzerland 

World football’s governing body, FIFA, has said it will not proceed with its proposal to sell a piece of its business empire to outside investors after the project ⁠was met with fierce resistance from some of its member associations.

FIFA’s plan was to raise up to $4.2bn by selling about a 20 percent stake in a new unit that would run FIFA events including the ‌World Cup, valuing it at $20bn.

The proposal, first announced on Tuesday, was strongly opposed by European football’s governing body, UEFA, which voted on Thursday to boycott FIFA competitions.

In a statement, UEFA said that it was “irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret”.

The Switzerland-based organisation’s statement also accused FIFA of putting the sport’s “soul” up for sale.

“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature ⁠that, regardless of the level of support, are ⁠no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement late on Friday evening.

“Our purpose has always been – and will ⁠always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”

Earlier on Friday, ⁠Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned with ⁠immediate effect, calling the plan “a bad deal for football”.

FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by Infantino, describing the proposal as a “project of one person”.

British Prime ‌Minister Andy Burnham, meanwhile, told reporters on Friday that Infantino was “the wrong man to lead the organisation”.

The nature of the backlash towards FIFA’s plans immediately raised doubts about Infantino’s position.

The 56-year-old, who was born in Switzerland to Italian parents, was already under pressure due to his perceived relationship with United States President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup.

Trump revealed that he called Infantino about a red card shown to USA star Folarin Balogun, which was thereafter suspended for a year, and the forward was free to play in his country’s next World Cup match.

The expectation for FIFA’s private investment scheme was that Joshua Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital, would lead the proposed venture capital group via a fund called Thrive Eternal.

Joshua is the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump.

President Trump ⁠said on Friday at Camp David that he ‌did not speak with Infantino about FIFA offering ⁠stakes to ⁠external investors.

Infantino is due to stand for re-election for a final term through 2031, and was expected to be unopposed following the overall success of the recent World Cup, which was cohosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

The fallout from FIFA’s proposal, however, has resulted in questions, albeit not fully overt, about Infantino’s role.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 1/8/2026

 

About 60,000 migrants arrive in Ceuta in 24 hours, Spanish territory's leader says

By Sarah Rainford, MADRID Spain 

About 60,000 migrants have crossed into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours, Ceuta's president said, adding that at least 34 others died during the crossing.

The influx comes after Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave, cannot be summarily returned to Morocco.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as an "attack" and said all illegal migrants would be returned to Morocco "as soon as possible". Several European leaders have expressed concern, some promising to tighten border controls.

More than 25,000 have returned to Morocco voluntarily so far, officials said.

Ceuta, on Morocco's northern coast, is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar and has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Local officials had appealed to Madrid for help after a recent rise in attempted crossings, but there were chaotic scenes on Thursday as border controls apparently broke down.

Videos and images from Thursday show thousands of people swimming into the city, while local media reported crossings continuing into Friday.

Juan Jesús Vivas said the situation was "unsustainable" and that the recent arrivals amounted to around 70% of the city's population - which sits at around 83,600 according to the latest local figures.

Spain's Interior Ministry told the reporter that its estimates were slightly lower, citing 50,000 arrivals since the early hours of Thursday.

It also added that more than 25,000 people have left Ceuta en route back to Morocco from Friday morning up to 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).

The ministry said the rate of departures from Ceuta is at 150 people per minute, though it did not provide any further information on this.

Spain has now deployed its armed forces to bolster security in Ceuta and at its sister city of Melilla, where between 300 to 400 crossings were also reported overnight.

Speaking on Friday during a visit to Ceuta, the prime minister condemned the crossings and said it was an attack on Spain's territorial integrity.

Sánchez added that the government would be looking at reinforcing the border with Morocco.

The prime minister blamed the dangerous events on criminal networks manipulating the Supreme Court's recent ruling, adding that incorrect information had "spread like wildfire in recent hours".

He said authorities in Morocco were co-operating with plans to return those who had entered illegally.

Ceuta and Melilla trace their Spanish past to the 15th Century, and they have enjoyed a limited degree of self-government since 1995.

Coveted by Morocco, they have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

UEFA to boycott FIFA tournaments if plan to sell World Cup stake goes ahead

GENEVA, Switzerland 

Europe’s powerful football governing body says it will boycott all FIFA tournaments if it presses ahead with its plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.

UEFA’s 55 member associations unanimously voted not to take part in future World Cups or other FIFA-run events if the proposal goes ahead.

"No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive," UEFA said following an emergency meeting on Thursday.

"The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product ... No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."

In a further blow to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plan, CONCACAF has also rejected the proposal saying it was concerned about the lack of due process.

The 41-member ⁠​North America, Central America and Caribbean bloc did not, however, say it would boycott the tournament.

On Tuesday, FIFA – a non-profit association - announced plans to create a commercial subsidiary to run its biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.

Under the proposal, private investors would be allowed to acquire stakes in the company but would remain minority shareholders.

It hopes to raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20 billion for the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative.

If approved, the project could provide each of FIFA's 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027.

It would also see their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle increase from $8 million to $20 million.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the initiative on Wednesday as a "golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally".

But UEFA, whose president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final to show unhappiness with FIFA, said the model “has no place in world football".

"Football's future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return,” he said.

"Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players, and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain," Ceferin said.

"Europe's position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation."

The FIFA proposal has drawn criticism from not only UEFA but also several leading European federations and European Union officials.

They view it as another step in the commercialisation of sport and have raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest.

The EU praised UEFA on Thursday for "defending the integrity of the game".

"I welcome this UEFA statement and fully support its position," European commissioner for sports Glenn Micallef said in a social media post.

"Proud to see Europe's football associations leading on governance, standing firm on their principles," he posted.