Simon Jordan has sparked a fierce debate by suggesting that Chelsea are actually "bigger and worse offenders" than Manchester City when it comes to breaching financial regulations. The former Crystal Palace owner believes the west London club has largely escaped the level of public scrutiny and vitriol currently directed at the Etihad giants.
Abramovich era violations come into focus
Following the Premier League's recent ruling that found Manchester City guilty of 114 out of 115 financial charges, focus has briefly shifted back to Stamford Bridge. City vehemently deny the allegations and are appealing the verdict, but the fallout has reignited discussions around historic spending across the English top flight.
During Roman Abramovich's tenure - which began with his 2003 takeover and yielded 21 major trophies - Chelsea enjoyed massive financial backing before strict spending regulations were introduced. However, a self-reporting initiative by the club's current BlueCo ownership revealed £47.5 million in undisclosed payments routed through third parties for Chelsea's benefit between 2011 and 2018.
These violations, which reportedly involved scouts, executives, and deals for stars like Eden Hazard, Willian, and Nemanja Matic, resulted in a £10.75m fine and a suspended one-year transfer ban earlier this year. The Blues also received an immediate nine-month academy embargo alongside a £750,000 penalty for separate youth registration breaches.
Jordan demands 'real rage' over historic breaches
Speaking on Piers Morgan's Uncensored, former Crystal Palace chairman Jordan questioned the disproportionate public backlash directed at City compared to Chelsea. He argued that while Enzo Maresca's side are currently facing immense scrutiny, the west London outfit committed their infractions after already establishing themselves as a financial superpower.
"If you believe in fairness and Man City's team have been assembled in an unfair way, but the interesting thing for me is that if you introduce unjust rules - don't be surprised when people behave unjustly," Jordan stated. "Why isn't there real rage about Chelsea? Chelsea were allowed to do what Man City were never allowed to do and yet, six years after they were allowed into the room, they still cheated.
"So Chelsea got in the room, got to spend what they want, Man City come along and then people went 'no, you can't come in, we're going to shut the door now'."
Different pathways to top-flight dominance
The crux of Jordan's argument rests on the timeline of both clubs' ascensions. While Chelsea built their foundation of success before modern spending rules were strictly enforced, they still engaged in illicit financial practices years later.
"But Chelsea were already in that room and five years later, they're still cheating," Jordan continued. "So Chelsea actually are bigger offender and worse offenders than Man City. Because Man City weren't ever allowed to be in the room and they've had to cheat to get in the room. So when you think about it in those terms, start getting some ire about Chelsea as well."
Despite these historic infractions, the Premier League ultimately determined that Chelsea would have complied with Profitability and Sustainability Rules even if the third-party payments had been officially declared. Furthermore, the club's decision to self-report and cooperate heavily mitigated their eventual punishment.
City await appeal as Blues navigate sanctions
Manchester City are now locked in a legal battle, having launched an appeal against the independent commission's guilty verdict. The outcome of this process will ultimately define the true severity of their punishment and could reshape the Premier League's regulatory landscape for years to come.
Chelsea, meanwhile, must operate under the looming threat of their suspended first-team transfer ban. With the historic Abramovich-era breaches now settled by the league, the Blues must ensure complete financial compliance to avoid triggering further sanctions.