And the British newspaper, The Times, reported that the government imposed harsh penalties on the billionaire Abramovich, as it decided to freeze all his assets now, including Chelsea FC, and thus he will be prevented from selling the club.
The government has also confirmed that Chelsea have received a special license to continue football-related activities.
The government would need to grant a special exemption to sell Chelsea, but no money can go to Abramovich directly or indirectly.
Also, no new contracts, player transfers or sales will be allowed at Chelsea following Abramovich’s sanctions, no further ticket sales will take place, and only season ticket holders can attend future matches.
“To increase pressure on the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, we have frozen assets and banned travel for seven of Russia’s richest and most powerful people,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Terrace said.
In turn, Chelsea Football Club announced that it will seek to change the license under which it must operate now that the government has imposed sanctions on its owner.
“We intend to enter into discussions with the government regarding the scope of the license,” the club said in a statement. This will include seeking permission to amend the license in order to allow the club to operate as normally as possible.
