What will happen to Chelsea FC? Four key questions about Abramovich sanctions

Chelsea fan reacts to news of Roman Abramovich sanctions

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Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was one of seven billionaires that were hit with fresh penalties, including a freeze on his British owned assets. The 55-year-old has owned Premier League side Chelsea for nearly 20 years, but due to the sanctions, the Blues will now have to work under a special licence agreement.

A Government document announcing the move said Abramovich has had a “close relationship for decades” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson added there was “enough of a link” between the Putin regime and the fresh round of oligarchs to be sanctioned.

Alongside an asset freeze, Abramovich will also face a prohibition on transactions with UK individuals and businesses and will have a travel ban forbidding him to enter the British Isles.

So, how will this affect Chelsea Football Club? Express.co.uk explores four key questions regarding the sanctions against the club’s owner.

Will Chelsea go bust?

Under the special licence, Chelsea will not be able to sell tickets or merchandise for the foreseeable future.

The club will also be capped at £500,000 on its spending for security, stewarding and catering at home games.

During Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea have been one of the wealthiest club sides in the world.

Before Thursday’s sanctions were announced, the Russian had put the club up for sale and was in talks with several prospective buyers.

However, the terms of the licence agreement now paint a very unclear future for Chelsea and how it can fund itself in the interim.

The Government has said that the licence will be kept “under constant review” and that its intention was to allow the club to “continue playing matches and other football related activity”.

While talk of the team entering administration is very premature, it’s likely to become of increasing concern to Chelsea fans the longer the ownership situation remains unresolved.

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Will Roman Abramovich sell Chelsea?

The special licence states that Abramovich cannot profit from the sale of his club, which he bought in 2003.

Downing Street has confirmed the Government is “open” to a sale of Chelsea if a licence is approved by the Treasury.

A spokesperson for the PM said: “It’s fair to say the Government is open to the sale of the club but currently it would require another licence, and that would require further conversation with the Treasury and other departments.”

Abramovich has previously said the proceeds of any sale would go to support the people of Ukraine.

How many Chelsea season ticket holders are there?

Chelsea have roughly 28,000 season ticket holders, which grants individuals access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges.

The capacity of the club’s Stamford Bridge ground is slightly below 42,000 which would mean a significant footfall in attendance figures for fixtures that have yet to be put on general sale to the public.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to future matches will be able to attend.

How much is Chelsea worth?

When Abramovich originally bought Chelsea, he did so for £60 million.

During his ownership, he has invested about £1.5 billion, and is likely to want to recoup as much of that money as possible.

In April 2021, Forbes reported that Chelsea’s value was $3.2billion (£2.4billion) – just before Chelsea secured a second Champions League title.

KPMG, meanwhile, said in its most recent Football Benchmark report that Chelsea have the seventh highest enterprise value at about £1.56bn.

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