Three, the shirt sponsor of Chelsea Football Club of England, has suspended its deal with the club in the wake of the sanctions on owner, Roman Abramovich.
The United Kingdom Government has joined many world governments in punishing Roman Abramovich for his close ties with Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
Before Three suspended the deal, Chelsea were also slapped with sanctions such as ban on renewing player contracts; banned from transactions with UK individuals and businesses; given special licence to continue to operate; only existing ticket holders can attend games.
The sanctions mean Abramovich can no longer sell the Club. Also, should the club be sold later, the Russian-Israeli Owner will not profit or make any money from the transaction.
Full List of Sanctions
- Offering new contracts to players or staff – Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta see their deals expire on June 30
- Conducting any official transfer business, including women’s team
- Selling new tickets to any game for any of their teams – including women and junior sides (season-ticket holders and existing ticket holders only)Selling merchandise to fans (existing merchandise can be sold via third parties)
- No stadium work or redevelopment
- Spending over £500,000 on security, stewarding and catering costs per home match and over £20,000 expenses per away games
Nadine Dorries, the minister for Sport and Culture, tweeted: “I know this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league & clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions hit those intended. Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities. We’re committed to protecting them.”
