Premier League giants Chelsea are set to potentially suffer yet another body blow this season as fresh EU sanctions levied against owner Roman Abramovich could cause the Blues to miss out on this week’s Champions League clash with Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille.
Lille’s match with Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday is threatened by the fresh EU sanctions against Roman Abramovich, according to L’Equipe.
Source quoted as saying there is a “real risk” to the game going ahead.#LOSC #CFC
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) March 15, 2022
As reported by The Daily Mail, there is a real risk that Chelsea will have their clash with Lille called off on the back of Abramovich officially being added to the EU’s ‘black list’ as a fresh set of new sanctions has been directed at the Russian billionaire.
“In the UK, the Blues have been able to continue operating after being handed a license by the government, despite Abramovich coming under the spotlight for his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the invasion of Ukraine. This acts as an exemption, allowing them to go about their sporting business as usual, but it has now emerged that the club may need a similar license to be able to play their match – and generate income – on French soil.”
“L’Equipe have reported that this documentation is ‘necessary’ for Chelsea, who are still owned, de facto, by businessman Abramovich. The same outlet, however, says the decision may be granted by the authorities out of respect for ‘sporting fairness’.
The ‘black list’ named by the EU this morning features a number of new Russian oligarchs. They said it was decided to ‘impose a fourth set of economic and individual sanctions in view of [this] military aggression’, namely the bloodshed in Ukraine.”
Chelsea withdraw the request for a closed-doors match against Middlesbrough
Earlier today the west London outfit lodged a formal request due to their ongoing crisis while citing ‘sporting integrity.’
Boro fired back immediately and without a filter in a scathing counter from club chairman Steve Gibson when he stated “Chelsea and sporting integrity do not belong in the same sentence. Where is the intellect of Bruce Buck, the chairman of Chelsea, who has been an apologist for his owner, where the trophies won over 19 years have come from the corrupt money provided by Abramovich?”
“Where is the intellect of the chairman of Chelsea when it comes to playing his games at home in front of his season ticket holders? Does he want to play all his away games at empty stadiums?”
As the turbulent situation moves forward, the Premier League giants are likely to sink further into the mire before they are able to course correct in some fashion, though the damage has likely already been done – at least for this season.
