Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted Chelsea are unlikely to avoid a European ban for the 2025-26 campaign.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – suggested such a ban would have devastating consequences financially for the Blues.
Uefa has confirmed clubs will not be permitted to register earnings from selling assets to sister companies, placing Chelsea at risk of a potential financial breach.
Chelsea have sold club hotels, part of the Cobham training ground and the club’s women’s side to a sister company over the past year to help offset the club’s major losses.
Possible Uefa sanctions are believed to include a warning, a fine or even a team being barred from European competitions.
However, the Premier League have decided to wave through the hotel sale – which was worth around £76.5million.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It was almost a year before we heard that this hotel deal has been approved.
“We still haven’t had the full details about whether the valuation of those hotels has been accepted as fair market value
“But for Europe next season – Chelsea won’t be able to qualify.
“Uefa will not allow these hotel deals to count, and I believe they will breach the rules.
“It’s going to be very tight, and European revenue will have been a major part of their revenue going forward.
“Let’s just see how this Chelsea soap opera develops.”
