Chelsea could still get Champions League ban even if UEFA let them off the hook

The threat of exclusion is hanging over after they were found to have breached UEFA spending limits. Even if a ban is taken off the table by European football's governing body, the Blues could find themselves barred from the competition due to another of its rules.

Chelsea exceeded the maximum amount a club is permitted to lose under UEFA regulations last season, partly due to the fact they did not recognise the £200million sale of the women's team to a sister company. According to , and Clearlake Capital are locked into talks with UEFA chiefs over a settlement.

The outcome is likely to be a financial penalty, although reports indicate that UEFA could threaten Champions League exclusion if they do not abide by a strict spending plan for the next three seasons.

Breaching that is not the only way Boehly and co could find themselves out of Europe's most lucrative club competition, because sister club Strasbourg are making a charge for the top four in Ligue 1.

UEFA rules stipulate that two clubs with the same owners cannot compete in the same competition. BlueCo head up the boardroom at both Stamford Bridge and Stade de la Meinau, meaning something would have to give if they both bag themselves a Champions League spot.

Chelsea went into this weekend fourth in the Premier League, with fifth likely to be good enough for a Champions League place. Strasbourg, meanwhile, are flying high in sixth, just three points behind the all-important third place, which would be good enough for automatic qualification.

If they both qualify, UEFA will give the Champions League spot to whichever team placed higher in their respective league, and the other team would drop into the Europa League. The same precedent would apply if they both qualify for the Europa League, with one team dropping down to the Conference League. And if they both qualify for the Conference League, one would go without European football altogether.

Chelsea are believed to be putting contingency plans in place to avoid BlueCo's Strasbourg venture getting in the way of their Champions League ambitions.

One option is to put one of the clubs into a blind trust next season. Chelsea bosses will hope that does not damage the capacity to conduct business between the two sides, with Blues players frequently heading on loan to Strasbourg, whose best youngsters are expected to be sent in the opposite direction as part of the ownership model.