Chelsea have issued a statement following the sanctions placed on owner Roman Abramovich.
The 55-year-old is one of seven Russian oligarchs who have had sanctions placed on them by ministers on Thursday and the sanctions will come into force before his intended sale of the club can be finalised.
Abramovich has been prohibited from transactions with UK individuals and businesses, whilst the sanctions also mean Chelsea will be unable to offer staff or players new contracts, conduct transfer business, sell new tickets for games or merchandise, or begin any stadium work or redevelopment.
The west Londoners have now issued a statement and have confirmed the Blues will seek permission for their licence to be amended, in order to ‘allow the club to operate as normal as possible’.
“Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government,” the statement reads on the Chelsea website.
“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.”
