Simon Jordan has claimed Chelsea are “worse offenders” than Manchester City in the financial rules debate, questioning why the Stamford Bridge club have not attracted the same level of anger.
The former Crystal Palace owner’s argument centres on the advantage he believes Chelsea gained from Roman Abramovich’s early spending, before restrictions became tighter for clubs trying to follow them.
Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Sports Uncensored, in comments reported by GiveMeSport and Mirror Football, Jordan asked:
“Why isn’t there real rage about Chelsea?”
Jordan questions the treatment of Chelsea and City
Jordan argued that Chelsea had already been able to build a powerful squad when the financial landscape became more restrictive. In his view, their later breaches deserve greater scrutiny because they came after the club had benefited from that head start.
He contrasted that with City’s attempts to establish themselves among the leading clubs, and criticised the fairness of the rules under which they were operating.
Jordan urged people to:
“Start getting some ire about Chelsea as well.”
That is his assessment of the two clubs. The disciplinary records involve different rules, authorities and procedures; there has been no official ruling ranking Chelsea’s conduct against City’s.
What Chelsea have been sanctioned for
The Premier League announced two agreements with Chelsea on 16 March, with fines totalling £10.75million. They covered historical financial reporting and third-party payments, alongside a separate youth-development case.
The sanctions included an immediate nine-month academy registration ban and a one-year first-team transfer ban suspended for two years. Chelsea’s current owners had reported potential historical breaches themselves, and the League credited the club’s cooperation when deciding the penalties.
The League also said its recalculations showed Chelsea would not have breached its Profitability and Sustainability Rules if the undisclosed payments had been properly included in the accounts.
Separately, the FA confirmed on 31 July that Chelsea admitted 74 breaches of its regulations. A £10million fine remained in place, while an appeal replaced a suspended six-point deduction with a two-window registration ban suspended until 30 June 2027.
The cases at a glance
| Case | Published position |
|---|---|
| Chelsea · Premier League | 16 March: £10.75m total fines across two agreements, plus academy and suspended first-team registration sanctions. |
| Chelsea · FA | 31 July: 74 admitted breaches, £10m fine and suspended two-window registration ban following appeal. |
| Manchester City · Premier League | 29 September: Commission findings published. City subsequently confirmed an appeal and continue to deny wrongdoing. |
Manchester City have appealed
The Premier League’s September statement said an independent Commission had upheld all charges concerning serious financial breaches over nine seasons, and most charges concerning failures to cooperate with its investigation.
The Commission found arrangements that artificially increased reported revenue and reduced costs. The League said the question of sanctions would be dealt with separately.
City confirmed they lodged an appeal on 1 October. The club maintain their innocence and say the decision contains errors of law, principle and fact.
Those findings, Chelsea’s admissions and City’s response provide the context for Jordan’s criticism. His argument goes beyond the number of charges to ask whether Chelsea’s earlier spending advantage should change how supporters judge the two clubs.
Fans react to Simon Jordan’s comparison
Replies challenged the comparison, with supporters pointing to Chelsea’s self-reporting and questioning whether the two cases should be treated alike. These are individual opinions, rather than disciplinary findings.
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Sources
- GiveMeSport: Simon Jordan’s comments on Sports Uncensored
- Mirror Football via AOL: Jordan’s argument and Chelsea background
- Premier League: Chelsea sanctions, 16 March 2026
- The FA: Chelsea disciplinary outcome, 31 July 2026
- Premier League: Manchester City Commission findings, 29 September 2026
- Manchester City: appeal statement
- Supporter replies on X: reaction 1, reaction 2, reaction 3, reaction 4.
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