British Government Sanctions Roman Abramovich, Blocking Sale Of Chelsea FC

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the British government due to his close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This is affecting the potential sale of Chelsea Football Club, with added restrictions established to ensure the running of the football club continues.

According the government: “The owner of Chelsea FC sees his assets frozen, a prohibition on transactions with UK individuals and businesses, a travel ban and transport sanctions imposed.

“Given the significant impact that today’s sanctions would have on Chelsea Football Club and the potential knock on effects of this, the Government has this morning published a licence which authorises a number of football-related activities to continue at Chelsea.

“This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and other football related activity which will in turn protect the Premier League, the wider football pyramid, loyal fans and other clubs. This licence will only allow certain explicitly named actions to ensure the designated individual is not able to circumvent UK sanctions. The licence will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the football authorities.”

Chelsea have since issued a response to the announcement acknowledging the sanctions. The club states:

“By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich. However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.

“We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence. This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible. We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities.

“The Club will update further when it is appropriate to do so.”