English Premier League champion Chelsea have been charged with breaching Football Association rules for carrying out private drugs tests on some of their own players, local media reported Thursday.

The charges from English football's governing body were made inconnection with testing carried out by the club on July 12, 2004 -around the time that Romanian international Adrian Mutu tested positive for using cocaine.

Mutu had his contract at Chelsea terminated and was subsequently banned for seven months.

Jose Mourinho, who took over as manager a month before the tests were carried out, has admitted that Mutu was deliberately targetted by the club because of suspicions he was using recreational drugs.

Such testing however is in breach of the FA's Doping Control Regulations, which include a paragraph that states: "The independent private testing/screening of players by clubs, club officials or any other person subject to Football Association Rules is prohibited."

Source: Xinhua