Chelsea played the FFP game alone, so time to break football again

Chelsea was one of the reasons financial fair play in the first place. They played the game by themselves so it is time to break football once again.

When Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea, he created a chain reaction of owners pumping in cash they both had and did not have to bolster their clubs. FIFA, in their infinite knowledge, created financial fair play regulations to prevent the sport from becoming top heavy while at the same time protecting clubs from reaching beyond their means.

Chelsea played the game. Over years, they changed their strategies to become self sufficient. Transfers in began to equal transfers out. The Blues played the game. The only issue was they were one of the very few clubs that did so.

Manchester City being cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport over financial fair play simply means that FIFA created a set of rules they had no intention of actually enforcing. The only thing the Blues got for trying to play along was getting left behind by their rivals who continued business as usual. The only realistic option for Chelsea now is to return to what started all of this in the first place: breaking football by snapping up anyone and everyone.

Chelsea was largely in a better position than the majority of clubs anyways. After over a year of not buying any players, the Blues are sitting on a large pile of cash. Beyond that, Covid-19 has limited rivals in what they are capable of doing this summer transfer window. Even if Chelsea is affected, the war chest they have been sitting on allows them to absorb that blow better than most.

But none of that matters in a world in which there are no rules. If City can be creative in their book keeping to buy Pep Guardiola a half dozen players, then what is stopping Abramovich from doing the same? Financial fair play is a paper tiger and it is time to crumple it up and throw it in the trash for what it is worth.

Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner should only be the tip of the iceberg. Kai Havertz may require Champions League, but the Blues should go in for him as well. Declan Rice and Ben Chilwell? Sure, come on in. The more the merrier. Do not forget Andre Onana while they are at it.

Abramovich’s early spree should be put to shame by the potential of the current one. Manchester City’s spree when Guardiola arrived should follow suit. The Blues could, and probably should, buy whoever they even have a curiosity about buying now. There are no rules, so why play by them?

This was all always about Chelsea. They did their part in acting as though financial fair play mattered and they merely fell behind the likes of Manchester City for their troubles. Now that financial fair play has been revealed to be the man behind the curtain, Chelsea should break the bank and the game and return to the top where they belong.