Leaked files reveal Chelsea FC received a series of secret payments worth tens of millions of pounds over 10 years from former owner Roman Abramovich. These may have breached football financial rules.

The payments appear to be connected to player transfers and contracts for Eden Hazard, Willian, Samuel Eto’o, and manager Antonio Conte among others.

The payments were routed through offshore companies and some may not have been properly declared to football authorities. This could violate financial fair play rules and regulations on accurate financial reporting.

Experts say the Premier League could punish Chelsea with point deductions if rules were broken to gain an unfair advantage. The league, FA, and UEFA are investigating.

There are also revelations around Abramovich secretly funding efforts to challenge financial fair play rules in court. And suspicious payments to the owner of Anzhi Makhachkala before Chelsea bought Willian and Eto’o from that club.

Chelsea says the allegations pre-date the current ownership, which has voluntarily reported “incomplete financial information” from the Abramovich era to authorities. The club says it is assisting investigations.