Chelsea face more upheaval this season following confirmation that owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government.
Abramovich recently announced he is looking to sell Chelsea following news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war being raged by Vladimir Putin in eastern Europe.
Several Russian billionaires oligarchs have been sanctioned by the UK government and now Abramovich has too.
It will have huge implications for him as well as Chelsea Football Club and their fans moving forward this season.
All of Abramovich’s UK assets have been frozen and while Chelsea can still operate under a special licence, the sale of the club will now have to be put on hold.
Abramovich’s sanction: What it means for Chelsea
Chelsea will now have to play their home games with reduced crowds as the club will not be allowed to sell any more tickets.
Only season ticket holders will be permitted to attend games for the foreseeable future.
Chelsea have around 28,000 season ticket holders while Stamford Bridge holds just under 42,000.
The club will not be allowed to sell merchandise but catering services at the stadium will be permitted.
The news will also be impacted in the Blues in several other ways.
Off the field, Chelsea will effectively be under a transfer embargo moving forward as they will not be able to conduct business in the transfer market this summer.
They will also be unable to confirm new contracts for their players.
The likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen will see their deals expire this summer.
The club will still be able to pay their player salaries.
The sanction will come into place immediately with Chelsea in Premier League action on Thursday night away to Norwich, and then at home against Newcastle on Sunday.
Abramovich’s sanction: What has been said?
While the shape of Chelsea’s long-term future has now been thrown into major doubt, Government ministers have been quick to insist any damage would be limited.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said on Twitter: “Our priority is to hold those who have enabled the Putin regime to account.
“Today’s sanctions obviously have a direct impact on Chelsea and its fans. We have been working hard to ensure the club and the national game are not unnecessarily harmed by these important sanctions.
“To ensure the club can continue to compete and operate we are issuing a special licence that will allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches while, crucially, depriving Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club.
“I know this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league and clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions hit those intended. Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities. We’re committed to protecting them.”