The sanctioning of Roman Abramovich and what it means for Chelsea

Just days before a busy December period, Chelsea had thrashed Juventus 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in their Champions League group stage tie.

All was well at the club as the Blues were competing at the top end of the Premier League title in the hopes of securing their sixth title, as well as making progress on the continent and in the Carabao Cup.

Fast forward just a couple months and the situation is looking very different. Less than 24 hours before their Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool, Roman Abramovich announced he was handing over the stewardship of the club to their Foundation trustees.

Four days later, amid fears he would be sanctioned as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he put the club up for sale. However, the billionaire has now been punished by the UK Government and all of a sudden, the future of Chelsea Football Club is now uncertain.

The Blues are due to play Norwich City at Carrow Road later this evening in the hopes of cementing their spot in the Premier League top four.

Whilst the club may be performing well on the pitch as of late, their fate for the rest of the season and upcoming campaigns could now well be impacted by the latest news.

As it stands the club will be under a ‘special license’ that has been issued by the Government, which means that they will still be able to play their remaining fixtures and staff members will be paid.

However, their matchday costs will be limited. According to The Telegraph, there is a cap of £500,000 a match for the club to cover catering, security and stewarding. They also say there is a £20,000 limit on what they can spend on travel but transport, such as a chartered flight, would go over this figure and Chelsea ‘may have to resort to cheaper modes of travel to certain games.’

Another major implication of the sanctions is that the club are now unable to sell tickets for their upcoming games, with season ticket holders only being able to attend matches that have been pre-bought. As well as this, away supporters may not be able to attend games at Stamford Bridge.

Due to the fact that cup games are not usually included in a season ticket package, this means that fans will be unable to attend any Champions League matches as well as FA Cup fixtures.

Members who were normally able to purchase tickets when they went on sale earlier in the season will now no longer be able to do so for the foreseeable future.

The sanctions in place will also prevent Chelsea from operating in the transfer market, meaning they may be unable to sign or sell players at the end of the season.

It also raises more uncertainty over the contracts of the players, with the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen all seeing their deals expire in the summer. Negotiations may have taken place to extend their stays in west London, but this may not be possibilities anymore.

Shirt sponsor Three have also revealed that they will be reviewing their sponsorship of the club in light of the news, with their deal said to be around £40 million a year. Merchandise sales will now no longer be permitted via the club shop, with Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge located megastore closing on the morning the sanctions were announced.

Their future was already in uncertainty when Abramovich made the decision to sell, with a multitude of reports speculating who would be next to take the helm at the World and European Champions. However despite the sanctions imposed, a sale of the club could still be able to take place. Government sources have told The i that ‘an application for a licence to sell the club would be considered’.

Potential buyers are still believed to be interested in purchasing the club, but Abramovich would most likely not receive any money from a sale.

Chelsea’s future is now far from predictable. This was always going to be the case when the news of the sale was announced, but their progress throughout the rest of the season could now be hindered.

Winning the Premier League title is now a foregone conclusion, with Manchester City and Liverpool expected to battle for the crown throughout the latter stages of the campaign, and the Blues will now focus on ensuring they finish in the top four.

Retaining the Champions League could still be a possibility, with Chelsea currently 2-0 up on aggregate against Lille ahead of their trip to France for the second leg next week. They will also travel to Middlesbrough next weekend in the FA Cup, and a win would send them through to the semi-finals of the competition for the third consecutive season.

However life at Chelsea beyond the current campaign could look very different, especially after 19 years of constant success under the ownership of Abramovich.

Thomas Tuchel and his squad will have to carry on with their duties on the pitch and ensure they finish the season strongly, before they and their fans can assess the situation regarding the club ahead of pure uncertainty.

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