Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been disqualified as a director of the club by the Premier League board.
It comes after sanctions were imposed on Abramovich by the UK government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the freezing of the Russian oligarch’s assets which range from property to Chelsea FC.
The subsequent restrictions have limited Chelsea’s ability to operate normally, with the club being granted a special license to continue playing football matches and pay staff.
However, it cannot receive commercial income or operate at all in the transfer market, and unless the club is sold by the end of the season it could face liquidation.
The government are expected to step in by granting Chelsea a further license to allow them to be sold, which will see Abramovich not receive any of the proceeds of the sale, as per the sanctions placed upon him.
Despite the disqualification, a statement from the Premier League board said: “The Board’s decision does not impact on the club’s 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.”
On top of the sanctions initially imposed on them on Thursday, Chelsea have also seen their sponsorship with Three temporarily terminated and have seen their account with Barclays bank temporarily suspended as well.
Chelsea’s next fixture is on front of its home fans when they host Newcastle United, who are in red hot form.
