It’s all change for Chelsea as Abramovich faces sanctions

This makes for a time of great unpredictability for one of the most stable clubs in the English game, writes Ben Burrows

The move sees all the oligarch’s assets frozen including the club he bought back in 2003 (Reuters)

Sport is being forced to reassess its relationship with Russia as Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine continues.

Russian athletes were banned from the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, while Formula One ordered drivers to compete as neutrals before Haas pulled the plug on Nikita Mazepin’s contract with the team altogether. Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk put talk of a second fight with Anthony Joshua behind him in favour of an actual fight on the front line.

Uefa switched the Champions League Final from St Petersburg to Paris before severing its multi-million pound deal with sponsor Gazprom with immediate effect.

The invasion’s biggest impact on sport was yet to come, however, with Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea, sanctioned by the UK government on Thursday. The move sees all the oligarch’s assets frozen including the club he bought back in 2003.

The Blues have enjoyed unparalleled success bankrolled by the Russian’s millions, with five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues, including the most recent edition, to their name.

Now it’s all change. Transfers and new contracts have been banned while ticket and merchandise sales have been blocked. Travel costs for away games are now capped, and several sponsors have walked away.

On the pitch, the team have done their best to put it out of their minds with back-to-back Premier League victories, but off the pitch, the questions continue to mount.

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Chief among them is who will own them next, with the government currently overseeing a sale with a number of parties interested. Administration could even be on the table should they not be able to balance the books.

It all makes for a time of great unpredictability for one of the most stable clubs in the English game. While the managerial office door has infamously often revolved over the last 19 years, the man at the helm and his backing has never wavered. Until now.

The Roman empire is coming to an end. What is next has never been more uncertain.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sports editor