Chelsea news LIVE: Club withdraw Middlesbrough request after backlash and Roman Abramovich sanctioned by EU
Chelsea in back and forth over FA Cup game against Boro, owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned further by EU and prospective buyers circle ahead of deadline
Chelsea continue to deal with the fallout of owner Roman Abramovich being disqualified as a director of the club and sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Vladimir Putin after the Russian invasion of Ukraine as prospective buyers circle ahead of Friday’s deadline for a sale.
The London billionaire, and Blues fan, Nick Candy has emerged as one of the frontrunners to buy Chelsea and several rival suitors have approached the British property tycoon on joining the bid for the Stamford Bridge club.
The UK government initially brought sanctions against Abramovich last Thursday but despite the Russian’s assets being frozen, Chelsea were handed a new licence to continue “football-related activities” and are in negotiations with the government to amend some aspects of it.
The license does not allow Chelsea to sell tickets, however, and the the club released a statement on Tuesday requesting for their upcoming FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough to be played behind closed doors after they were unable to sell any more tickets for the match. Middlesbrough responded with a furious statement while the club’s chairman, Steve Gibson, called Chelsea “pathetic” over the proposals.
However, in a dramatic U-Turn, the FA then confirmed that Chelsea had removed their request to play the match in an empty stadium. It comes as Chelsea prepare to face Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday, with manager Thomas Tuchel criticising Boris Johnson’s “priorities” after the Prime Ministers called on Blues supporters to stop chanting Abramovich’s name at matches.
Chelsea, football’s grim reality and the ‘huge opportunity’ to the sport’s ownership model
Premier League and FA flag ‘integrity issues’ over Chelsea ticket ban
Chelsea fans told to stop chanting Roman Abramovich’s name by government
Thomas Tuchel will ‘absolutely’ stay with Chelsea until at least end of season
Chelsea fans told to stop the “completely inappropriate” chanting for Roman Abramovich
Chelsea fans have been told to stop the “completely inappropriate” chanting of Russian owner Roman Abramovich’s name by a spokesperson of the Prime Minister.
Chelsea fans again expressed their backing for Abramovich during Sunday’s home match against Newcastle, although there were fewer chants than during the match against Norwich on Thursday.
Abramovich was sanctioned by the British Government last week over his ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. His assets were frozen with Chelsea placed under a special licence which allows them to operate but unable to generate new revenue.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman insists supporters should not let that blind them to Abramovich’s association to the man leading the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"We recognise the strength of feeling around people’s clubs but that does not excuse behaviour which is completely inappropriate at this time," he said.
"I think people can show passion and support for their club without resorting to that sort of stuff."
The UK government has said it is still "open" to Chelsea being sold but that a new application would be needed to enable a sale. So far, the spokesman said, the club had not applied for a variation to its strict special licence.
"We are open to the sale of the club, we would consider an application for a licence to allow that to happen in the right circumstances," the spokesman said.
"But it is for Chelsea to determine the exact process. My understanding is potential buyers would approach the club, who would then need to apply for a further amended licence to facilitate the sale.
"As far as I’m aware that hasn’t happened at this point.”
Thomas Tuchel reflects on Newcastle win
Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, explained some of his decisions throughout the match against Newcastle yesterday and praised matchwinner Kai Havertz for how he scored the only goal of the match.
“It was a tough game,” he explained in a post-match interview. “Newcastle were very organised, very physical and very strong at set-pieces.
“We had a lot of questions to answer. I thought we were strong in defence and in the middle of the pitch but we struggled a little in the final 30 metres with our decision-making and creating chances was difficult.
“It was very important not to concede but then when a chance came along, if we could find that one bit of quality, that we took it to win the game.”
Speaking about Havertz, Tuchel added: “It was quality from Kai, an exceptional goal. The pass [from Jorginho] was excellent and the control and the finish was outstanding, so full credit to Kai.
“He works hard in every game and that is shown in his running, the distances he covers and the high intensity work he puts in so to still have the ability, confidence and composure to take the ball in that moment and in the way that he did was very good.
“It was a moment of pure class and we needed that quality to break Newcastle down. Kai delivered for us and then you could see in the last four minutes what a goal does for a team. We were so good and suddenly it was easier to find the gaps, to keep the ball, to open up spaces and switch the play - everything was so much easier and more fluid.
“There is no doubt that I stay until the end of the season. We just have to wait day-by-day because everything can change. The situation is clear, the club is up for sale and hopefully it will go through to sort things out. I have no further information.
“The focus is on the first team of Chelsea, on me and the players, but Chelsea is much more than only the first team. It’s a massive club with huge tradition and there are hundreds of people here so for them it’s important that we show the spirit and show what we are about, which is football because we love the game.”
‘Totally uncharted territory’: Chelsea facing harsh reality of life after Roman Abramovich
Among the Chelsea players, there was dark humour about the news, and more earnest questions about what next and what it all means.
The first thing that should be said is that there is a seriousness here way beyond football. The notification of Roman Abramovich’s sanctioning relayed the following, among a lengthy piece of information that was among the very longest of those concerning the 204 individuals named:
“Abramovich is associated with a person who is/has been involved in destabilising Ukraine and undermining and threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, namely Vladimir Putin, with whom Abramovich has had a close relationship for decades.”
This was a fact that media sought to publish and explore for years, but were shackled by the billionaire’s heavy use of litigation.
Chelsea facing ‘totally uncharted territory’ of life after Roman Abramovich
The sanctions against the owner not only impact the here and now of the football club but its future too
Fans urged to stop chanting in support of owner Roman Abramovich
Chelsea fans have been asked to refrain from chanting in support of their owner Roman Abramovich by a Government minister.
Supporters of the west London club sang Abramovich’s name during the Premier League win at Norwich on Thursday night, hours after the Government had imposed sanctions on him due to his links to Russian president Vladimir Putin but were more reserved against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Abramovich’s UK assets have been frozen while Chelsea have been issued a special licence to continue operating under strict conditions designed to prevent the Russian-Israeli billionaire generating new revenue.
Technology minister Chris Philp urged Blues fans to remember why Abramovich had been sanctioned in the first place.
“I’m a football fan myself, I’m a Palace fan, in south London. So I understand why fans are very attached to their football clubs,” he told BBC Radio Four’s Today Programme on Friday morning.
“But Roman Abramovich is someone who has been sanctioned now, yesterday morning, for his very close links to Vladimir Putin and the Putin regime.
“And I just say respectfully to the Chelsea fans, I know he’s done a lot for the club, but the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and what the Russian regime are doing to civilians - shelling maternity hospitals and shooting civilians who are fleeing down humanitarian corridors - and that is more important than football.
“And I say that as a football fan myself, and I would just ask them to keep that in mind.”
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and has led the club to 21 trophies in the 19 years since. But the club’s future is now uncertain.
Chelsea fans urged to stop chanting in support of owner Roman Abramovich
The Russian was sanctioned by the UK Government on Thursday.
‘No doubt’ Thomas Tuchel will stay with Chelsea until at least end of season
Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will stay at Chelsea until at least the end of the season and insisted he would drive the sanction-hit club to next week’s Champions League game in Lille himself if he had to.
The Blues boss, speaking after Sunday’s victory over Newcastle thanks to Kai Havertz’s last-gasp winner, revealed little has changed for the club’s first-team set-up so far in the wake of owner Roman Abramovich’s UK Government sanctions.
Abramovich had all his UK assets – barring Chelsea – frozen on Thursday, with the Government claiming to have proved the 55-year-old’s links to Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s continued war in Ukraine.
Tuchel reaffirmed his immediate commitment and expects a sale to be carried out in standard timescale.
“There’s no doubt I’ll stay until the end of the season, absolutely,” the German said.
Thomas Tuchel will ‘absolutely’ stay with Chelsea until at least end of season
The German expects a sale of the club to be carried out in standard timescale
Holocaust memorial suspends ties to Roman Abramovich
Israel’s official Holocaust memorial and museum, Yad Vashem, has suspended ties with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich just weeks after he made an eight-figure donation in a “long-term strategic partnership”
Just a few weeks ago, after the donation from Abramovich, the memorial had claimed that “a new long-term strategic partnership” had been struck with the Russian billionaire after he became their second largest donor.
Earlier this month, Yad Vashem was embroiled in controversy after a report in the Washington Post claimed that it had attempted to assert pressure on the US not to sanction the Blues owner.
Abramovich has had his assets frozen in the UK in the wake of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, although he continues to deny any links to president Vladimir Putin .
The West have targeted several Russian oligarchs and billionaires with sanctions and asset freezes in the hopes of exertgin pressure on Putin to stop the war and Israel are debating whether to follow their lead.
Chelsea being run ‘day to day’ claims Petr Cech
Chelsea technical director Petr Cech confessed that the club was being run on a day-to-day basis after the imposition of a spending cap - due to sanctions on club owner Roman Abramovich - means that the club may run out of money before the end of the season.
As part of theses sanctions, investments from club sponsors are on hold, ticket sales have been limited and matchday spending has been capped leading to suggestions that Chelsea may fail to pay their players and employees perhaps even run out of cash before the season concludes.
“It’s been devastating to watch what’s happening in Ukraine and our thoughts are with the victims of the situation. I hope people will stop suffering,” Cech told Sky Sports ahead of Chelsea’s game against Newcastle yesterday.
“When you compare to what’s been happening here, it’s a difficult situation. We have many questions, we don’t have many answers but we are determined to concentrate on things we can control. We are going day by day to try and finish the season.
“We hope the situation will be clearer soon. We hope people working for the club will be able to get their salaries and to live their lives and work.
“This is a difficult question for me to answer because I don’t have the answers. I don’t know what the lessons will be like in days. Without answers, it’s difficult to plan.”
In more positive news for the Blues, the technical director does not expect to lose manager Thomas Tuchel any time soon, saying:
“Thomas has a contract until 2024, as it stands we’ve been told that the contract will be valued, we hope we will have him as a coach because he’s been brilliant on every level.
“But tomorrow the situation can change and my answer will be irrelevant.”
Thomas Tuchel vows to meet ‘responsibility’ to Chelsea’s behind-scenes employees
Thomas Tuchel has vowed to meet his “responsibility” to Chelsea’s behind-the-scenes employees who continue to fret for their futures.
Kai Havertz’s last-ditch goal steered Chelsea to a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday, their fifth-straight Premier League victory.
The Blues’ commanding form on the field belies the club’s state of flux after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government.
Chelsea’s sale can continue under Government supervision, but Abramovich cannot profit after Downing Street claimed to have proven the 55-year-old’s direct links to Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
Thomas Tuchel vows to meet ‘responsibility’ to Chelsea’s behind-scenes employees
Kai Havertz’s last-ditch goal steered Chelsea to a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday.
Chelsea, football’s grim reality and the ‘huge opportunity’ to change the sport’s ownership model
Chelsea fans enjoyed a fleeting moment of joy and exhilaration sparked by the genius of Kai Havertz after 88 minutes of frustration on Sunday. That sublime goal was a welcome distraction to many after a turbulent week, but the cold reality bites today amid the uncertain future of the club. A peculiar atmosphere greeted those in attendance for the match against Newcastle following the financial restrictions imposed on Roman Abramovich. It was a grim outlook for the Premier League as the two clubs that best represent the height of sportswashing fought it out for three points.
The uncomfortable background, from the government sanctions on the Blues to the execution of 81 people on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, was only intensified by the visiting supporters. The Toon Army revelled in their own newfound wealth from their Saudi benefactors, while lauding the miserable outlook of their opponents with Saudi flags seen fluttering in the Shed End throughout.
Chelsea, football’s grim reality and a ‘huge opportunity’ to reshape ownership model
Stamford Bridge on Sunday encapsulated what the Premier League has enabled through sportswashing, but Chelsea fans now hope for a new model ahead of the club’s sale
Focus on Manchester United and Chelsea’s Champions League last-16 opponents
Manchester United and Chelsea will bid to join Manchester City and Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals this week.
United host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday after drawing the first leg 1-1 while holders Chelsea won 2-0 against Lille at Stamford Bridge and travel to France for Wednesday’s match.
Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at Atletico and Lille.
Focus on Manchester United and Chelsea’s Champions League last-16 opponents
A closer look at Atletico Madrid and Lille.
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