The UK has frozen the assets of seven Russian businessmen, including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, which will directly attack the club – although it will exempt the club from being open, blocking operations such as buying and selling players. As for the sale of the London logo, it can only be executed if it is proven that the money does not go to the London administration.
The government granted Chelsea a special license that “authorizes them to pursue football-related activities”. This includes permits to continue playing and other activities related to football, which protects the Premier League while ensuring that staff and players are paid.
However, the stores have to be closed and the club can’t sell more tickets, just keep the season tickets already sold out. That is, to ensure that Abramovich does not make too much profit with Chelsea, explains Culture Minister Nadine Doris.
1/4 ?? Putin’s attack on Ukraine continues & we see new evils by the hour. The government today announced further sanctions against individuals associated with the Russian government. The list includes Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club.
– Nadine Dorries (NadineDorries) March 10, 2022
Restrictions refer to “restrictions on frozen goods, transactions with UK individuals and companies, travel and traffic restrictions”.
The main points of the special license are:
– Chelsea can pay the salaries of all staff, including players and coaches.
– You can pay ‘reasonable’ travel expenses to and from tournaments, but not more than £ 20,000 / Euro 24,000 per team.
– Pay “reasonable” expenses to organize home matches, not exceeding 598,000 per team, per match.
– Sponsors who have purchased season or individual match tickets before March 10, 2022 can attend the tournament.
– TVs can broadcast any game related to the club.
Abramovich was one of seven businessmen affected by the new UK sanctions. Also on the list are billionaires Igor Chechin and Oleg Deribaska (former partner of Abramovich), who have been seen as allies of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Lepadev.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson justified the decision: “There can be no safe haven for those who support Putin’s violent attack on Ukraine. Today’s sanctions are the latest step in Britain’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. We will continue to pursue those who allow the killing of civilians, the destruction of hospitals, and the illegal occupation of sovereign allies.
The government was under pressure to allow Abramovich, who said earlier this month that he had made a “tough decision” to sell Chelsea. Abramovich, 55, is accused of having a strong relationship with the Russian president.
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