The Football Association (FA) has imposed a new £40,000 fine on Chelsea. The Blues were disciplined on Tuesday after being charged by the FA with obstructing a match official following their 2-0 loss at Ipswich in the Premier League on December 30.

After many were outraged by the decision to give Ipswich an early penalty after custodian Filip Jorgensen’s challenge on Liam Delap, Chelsea was accused of failing to ensure that their players did not behave improperly in the tenth minute of their final 2024 match at Portman Road.

Chelsea’s players were incensed when John Brooks first awarded the penalty and VAR official Michael Oliver verified it after a check. Several of them gathered around the referee, and Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill were both given yellow cards for dissent.

Chelsea have now been fined for the incident after admitting the charge, with the FA saying in a statement: “Chelsea have been fined £40,000 after surrounding a match official during the Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town on Monday 30 December 2024.

THE FA FINES CHELSEA

“The club admitted that, during the 10th minute of the fixture, it failed to ensure that its players did not behave in an improper manner. The sanction was subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission.”

Chelsea has already been hit with an FA fine this season; in October, they were forced to pay £75,000 after becoming the first Premier League team to have six or more players booked in three different games in a single season.

The FA also accused them of not managing their players following an altercation on the pitch during a fierce draw with Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on 6 October.

In a statement at the time, the Premier League explained why Ipswich was given that penalty in the match against Chelsea in December:

“The referee’s call of penalty for a foul by Jorgensen on Delap was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty.”