Chelsea sale blocked as owner Roman Abramovich has UK assets frozen | OneFootball

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the British government as part of a crackdown on wealthy Russians with assets in the country.

It means all of Abramovich’s assets in the United Kingdom have been frozen and while Chelsea can continue to operate under a special licence, the sale of the club has been put on hold.

The west London club will be unable to make player transfers while the sanctions are in place, nor can they sell merchandise.

Furthermore, the club will not be allowed to sell any more tickets, meaning only current season ticket holders can attend matches for the foreseeable future. Food and drink sales at Stamford Bridge on match days will be permitted, however.

And as reported by The Times, Chelsea’s shirt sponsor Three has revealed that they £40m-a-year deal with the club is now “under review” with more sponsors likely to follow.

Abramovich is one of seven more Russian oligarchs who had sanctions placed on them by the British government on Thursday following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, the Chelsea owner announced plans to sell the club after almost 20 years of ownership, with net proceeds from the sale to be donated to “all victims of the war in Ukraine”.

However, the sanctions will come into force before the sale of the club is able to take place.