Chelsea have clarified how sanctions against their owner will affect the running of the club
Chelsea have issued their first statement since sanctions against club owner Roman Abramovich were announced on Thursday morning as a result of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian billionaire put Chelsea up for sale after the threat of sanctions were raised in the UK parliament. Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, has had his assets frozen in the UK, a move by the UK government designed to prevent him from making money from the sale of the club.
“Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government,” Chelsea’s statement reads.
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Chelsea release statement after sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich.
“By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich.
“However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.
“We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence.
“This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible.
“We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities.
“The club will update further when it is appropriate.”
The sanctions on Abramovich means that Chelsea cannot sign any players or award new contracts. They will not be able to sell any new tickets to matches this season.
This is how the sanctions fully affect Chelsea:
Things Chelsea can still do:
- Pay wages to players and staff.
- Pay fees, dividends or other allowances to directors of the Club except Roman Abramovich.
- Continue the payment necessary for the ongoing regular maintenance of the Club and the Club’s grounds, including rates, council tax, other taxes, insurance building safety inspection costs, energy costs and other maintenance costs associated with the maintenance of the Club’s ground and training grounds.
- Pay reasonable costs of travel to and from fixtures for players and essential staff including costs for security staff, travel agencies or contractors.
- Make payments for the hosting of fixtures up to £500k.
- Sell food and drink at home matches.
- Continue payments between clubs for existing loan and sale agreements.
- Receive fees from EFA, PL, and UEFA for performance.
Things Chelsea cannot do:
- Sell merchandise provided by third parties.
- Produce new merchandise unless there is an existing agreement pre-sanction.
- Sell new tickets for home and away matches.
- Pay for new stadium works.
- Enter new loan or sale agreements for players.
🚨 | Chelsea release statement on sanctions
💬 "We intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence. This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible." pic.twitter.com/Aom0DPrb4q
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 10, 2022
