A BUSINESS operated by Chelsea’s owners has been reselling Premier League tickets at significantly marked-up prices.

The club has issued warnings that fans found selling their tickets outside of official resale platforms may face bans.

events365.com, a US-based platform linked to Chelsea’s owners Clearlake Capital, has been offering tickets for Premier League matches at multiple times the original price to UK customers.

While UK companies cannot resell tickets to domestic fans, an existing loophole – set to be addressed by new legislation – permits overseas companies to operate in this manner.

Chelsea chairman Behdad Eghbali and fellow director James Pade, both prominent figures in Clearlake, are also directors of Victory Live, the US-based company that owns events365.com.

This is not the first time leaders at Stamford Bridge have faced accusations of hypocrisy and monetizing from fans.

Former chairman and co-owner Todd Boehly received ongoing criticism for his investment in Vivid Seats, which was also involved in reselling Premier League tickets at steep markups and collecting commissions.

However, Vivid had safeguards in place to prevent UK fans from obtaining tickets.

events365.com had been offering tickets for matches involving 19 Premier League clubs (excluding Chelsea) until investigators from The Times reached out to Clearlake.

As reported, journalists acquired a Premier League ticket from the site at the close of last season for nearly four times its original price.

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The seller’s instructions included: “Once in the stadium, please try to find your entrance and seat on your own without assistance from stewards.

“While it’s very unlikely, if someone inquires, ‘Where did you get the ticket?’ please say you received it from a friend.”

events365.com has reportedly now restricted access to all Premier League tickets.

Neither Clearlake nor Chelsea has made an official comment, but they are understood to be downplaying the damaging revelation.

According to The Times, the official stance is that Eghbali, Pade, and other directors were not aware that events365.com was promoting Premier League tickets to UK customers.

It is further claimed that their only Premier League transaction this season involved an international purchaser, yielding a profit of around £220.

However, the extent of events365.com’s resale of Premier League tickets in previous seasons and the identity of buyers remain unclear.

The company is believed to have ceased ticket sales for Chelsea following the backlash surrounding Boehly’s association with Vivid.

Due to this history and the fact that events365.com (unlike Vivid) was selling tickets to UK audiences, the current controversy poses a greater threat to the club’s and the involved directors’ reputations.

Club executives have been outspoken about the need to combat automated bots and traditional ticket touting.

The club’s ticket policy specifies: “Match tickets are invalid if purchased for more than the face value or from a tout or unauthorized online ticket agency or resale platform.”

The Premier League has also chosen not to comment. However, it is unlikely to pursue any actions since no existing laws or Premier League regulations have been breached.

Under the Sporting Events Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, it could become a criminal offense for foreign sellers with a UK business presence to sell football tickets or make them available in the UK market.