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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lewis Pangratiou

Chelsea break silence after Roman Abramovich sanctioned by UK government

Chelsea have responded to the news that Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government.

The Blues have informed supporters that they are readily seeking guidance from the government about the next steps so they can continue to operate as normally as possible.

A statement on the club's website read: "Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government.

"By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich. However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.

"We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence. This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the Club to operate as normal as possible.

"We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities.

"The Club will update further when it is appropriate to do so."

Among many consequences for the club under the "Russia Regulations" licence, any prize money earned will be frozen and supporters will not be allowed to attend away games.

Players and staff will continue to be receive their salaries and monies owed to clubs will be repaid.

The government's decision has caused a lot of confusion amongst Chelsea fans, who are understandably concerned about both the immediate and long-term future of their club.

With that in mind, the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) have also issued a response, urging the government to conduct a process to minimise the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

The CST said: "The CST notes with concern the Government's statement regarding the owner.

"Supporters MUST be involved in any conversation regarding ongoing impacts on the club and its global fan base.

"The CST implores the Government to conduct a swift process to minimise the uncertainty over Chelsea's future, for supporters and for supporters to be given a golden share as part of a sale of the club."

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