Roman Abramovich has been officially disqualified from owning Chelsea football club by the Premier League, following in the footsteps of the Government sanctions on the Russian Oligarch.
News broke on Thursday that Abramovich was one of 7 Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK Government, which means that he can no longer sell the club without a special license, and has cast considerable uncertainty on the future of Chelsea football club.
The Blues were subsequently dropped by shirt sponsors Three, and have even had their credit cards frozen, according to varying reports.
And now, the Premier League have followed suit, although this does not prevent Chelsea from continuing to play football. In an official statement, the governing body claimed:
‘Following the imposition of sanctions by the UK Government, the Premier League Board has disqualified Roman Abramovich as a Director of Chelsea Football Club.
The Boardβs decision does not impact on the clubβs ability to train and play its fixtures, as set out under the terms of a licence issued by the Government which expires on 31 May 2022.’
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Amendments to initial license
However, these changes are already underway. Their license to operate has been altered so that the Blues can now spend Β£900,000 on matchday costs, up from the Β£500,000 initially permitted.
Chelsea licence to operate amended. Now allowed to spend Β£900,000 on match-day costs. Further changes expected in coming days. https://t.co/BfWuMe0KGe
β Ben Rumsby (@ben_rumsby) March 12, 2022
As Chelsea continue to plead with the Government to prevent the club from rotting as a result of the sanctions, more changes are almost certain to follow.