Roman Abramovich: Chelsea sale ceased by UK government sanctioning club owner
Key takeaways:
- Roman Abramovich has owned Premier League team, Chelsea since 2003.
- Roman Abramovich's try to deal Chelsea has been suspended after the UK government sanctioned the oligarch as part of its reply to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The Russian put the European winners up for sale after boycotts were raised in Parliament.
The freezing of Abramovich's acquisitions, including Chelsea, means the club cannot vend further game tickets.
The action is planned to prevent Abramovich from earning money from Chelsea.
The government has given a special license to fulfill fixtures, team to be paid, and existing ticket-holders to attend games.
Chelsea has said they "plan to engage in discussions" with the government and pursue modifications to the special license to "let the club operate as normal as feasible."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's shirt sponsor, telecommunications firm Three, has asked that the Blues "temporarily pause" its deal with the club.
Three has requested for "the disposal of our brand from shirts and around the arena till further notice."
The firm added: "We realize that this decision will affect the numerous Chelsea fans who follow their team passionately.
"However, we feel that given the possibilities and the government sanction that is in place, it is the correct thing to do."
Chelsea will be unable to purchase or sell players or deliver new agreements while Abramovich levies sanctions. Chelsea-owned players who are on loan at other clubs will persist in playing for those clubs.
The London club's merchandise store has also been closed.
"Once you begin drilling down into what this could do - yes, they can play their matches but will they even be able [to]?" ex Chelsea winger Pat Nevin told the BBC World Football podcast.
"Huge amounts of queries, but yes, it's no exaggeration to say the future of the club is in trouble."