The British government sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich on Thursday, freezing all his assets, including Premier League football club Chelsea, for holdings of several Russian oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin‘s regime assets as part of broader sanctions. The possibility of a sale to Chelsea has been called into question as British government-sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich. Chelsea is not the only Premier League club whose owners and sponsors have questioned. Government sources say the Chelsea owner will not make a dime from any sale. Chelsea only went on sale last week as demands mounted for Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to sanction his close ties to the Putin regime. Abramovich said the proceeds would go to a fund he started for war victims.
Today has made Chelsea supporters waver, with one declaring the end of Chelsea as we know it, and rivals are ridiculing the club by saying Stamford Bridge is falling. The impact on fans is already being felt: Chelsea are now banned from selling match tickets, shirt sponsor Three is has suspended its £40m-a-year contract and club partner Zapp is doing the same. Sanctions have halted the sale of Chelsea, and the club now has a special government licence that strictly regulates what it can and cannot do. The freeze means the Chelsea owner can no longer sell Chelsea or make money by owning Chelsea.
Chelsea FC will no longer be able to sell match tickets, their merchandise shop will be closed, and they will not be able to buy or sell players on the transfer market. Meanwhile, Chelsea will not be able to sell tickets for Chelsea matches, meaning only season ticket holders will be able to attend, who will not be able to register new contracts or renew contracts for existing players. Chelsea has received a special license (expiring 31 May 2022) to continue as a club but will not be able to buy and sell players, distribute new contracts to existing players and benefit financially from merchandising, recent ticket sales and many other possibilities.
Their inability to sell tickets before the license expires means that if they beat Lille in the Champions League round of 16, they will have to play the quarter-finals away from home and without fans at home. It is unclear at this stage how the addition will affect FA Cup ticket sales if Chelsea beats Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals to advance to the semi-finals at neutral Wembley Stadium. As long as the economic sanctions are in place, Chelsea can continue to pay employees and players a payroll estimated at $37m a month.
I wish Chelsea to resolve the situation and get back on track.
