The British government imposed sanctions on Roman Abramovich and froze all his assets in the UK, including his Chelsea team. As is well known, Abramovich, the Russian oligarch, is considered close to Vladimir Putin, and the decision of the government comes against the background of the attempt to impose economic sanctions on Putin, Russia and the oligarchs close to him. Abramovich is one of seven oligarchs the government has sanctioned.
The decision affects Chelsea’s activities. The team of course can continue to play and participate in the football frameworks, but at the moment Abramovich will not be able to sell the team. The government will have to give special approval to the sale deal of the reigning European champions, and the money will not be able to go to Abramovich for the time being, directly or indirectly.
It was further argued that Chelsea will not be able to sell tickets for its games, and only subscribers will be able to go to its home games. It is also banned from selling marketing products, and it will not be able to sign new players or sign new contracts for the time being.
In his 19 years as owner, the Russian oligarch made the club one of the biggest in Europe and placed him on the main stage of world football, when the highlights came in 2012 and last year, when the team won the Champions League. Also, under Abramovich Chelsea have won five English championships, five trophies, three league trophies, twice in the Europa League, and this year also the European Supercup and the World Cup for clubs.