tycoon Roman Abramovichowning to Chelsea, was included this Thursday, the 10th in the list of Russian persons to receive sanctions from the British government for the invasion of Ukraine. With the measure, the billionaire’s assets were frozen, barred from doing business or traveling to the United Kingdom. As a result, the sale of the London club is also at risk. Chelsea are the current winners of the Club World Cup and the European Champions League.
British Chancellor Liz Truss said, “The oligarchs and fundamentalists have no place in our economy or society. Together with their close ties to Vladimir Putin (the Russian president), they add to his aggression.”
The ban on Abramovich has had a direct impact on Chelsea’s sporting activities. The Blues are unable to sell, renew or sign new player contracts or any other nature. The sale of tickets for the games is also prohibited, and entry to the stadium is allowed only to those who have purchased a package of tickets for the entire season.
However, UK authorities have published a license that is likely to allow Chelsea to keep football-related functions functional, allowing the club to continue participating in the competitions they compete in – the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.
“Given the significant impact and potential repercussions of today’s sanctions on Chelsea Football Club, the Government this morning issued a license to allow Chelsea to continue a range of football-related activities. Matches and other football-playing activities continued.” keep-related activities, which in turn will protect the Premier League, the football pyramid in general, loyal fans and other clubs,” the British government said in a statement.
A longtime friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich proceeded to sell Chelsea just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when he found himself under pressure from British public opinion. The current manager of the London club, worth over R$26 billion, also said he would donate the profits of the operation to “the people of Ukraine”.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in July 2003 for £140 million. In nearly 20 years, the club has raised its level on the world stage, collecting statues and trophies in important competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, English Championship and Club World Cup.
