By Charlie Carmichael-
Chelsea supporters chanted the name of their former club owner, in an extraordinary show of support to Roman Abramovich.
Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and there are many football fans who believe the sanction is unfair.
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Abramovich is believed to have close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin, whose regime has committed “barbaric acts” in Ukraine, but the wealthy billionaire has denied the claims.
The sanctions imposed on Thursday, were announced after much speculation as to whether the Russian oligarch would be among those sanctioned.
Opposition leader. Keir Starmer, had called for Abromavich to be sanctioned during House Of Commons debate, leading to Abromavich taking steps to sell his beloved Chelsea club. The oligarch had promised to give the proceeds of the sale to victims of war, but the UK government stepped in to prevent the sale following the sanctions.
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Several Russian Oligarchs have been sanctioned in a show of unity by multiple countries against the deplorable Russian invasion of Ukraine which has already led to the multiple loss of life.
The bombing of a children’s hospital in Ukraine which killed three people and injured several others early this week horrified the world.
However, there has been a raging debate in some circles about the fact the UK government had never taking action against corrupt money from Russian oligarchs in the UK until Ukraine was invaded.
Some people have pointed to the illegal U.S led war in Iraq in the 90’s as a basis of alleging hypocrisy against the West strong stance against Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine.
Although Iraq was invaded on the false grounds that Sadam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the difference in that war was that Britain and America genuinely believed Hussein had those weapons.
In the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its premeditation and the absence of any valid purpose of executing such a brutal take over attempt, has led to Britain joining many other countries in taking the radical step of sanctioning Abromavich and other oligarchs in the UK.
It is yet to be seen what legal steps the wealthy Russian will take to fight the freezing of his assets in the UK.
Chelsea will keep operating due to a special arrangements made with the UK government.
A spokesman for The Prime Minister later added: “We’re in constant contact with the club and the Premier League over any issues that have been raised through the sanctions and the licence that the Treasury have issued them.
“It’s now up to the club to apply for any amended licence. I believe Chelsea have said that they will do that, and we’ll obviously work with the club and the league to consider any operationally necessary changes.”
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston held a meeting with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) and three Chelsea fans’ groups on Thursday to discuss the impact of the sanctions and outline the process for the club to apply for an amended licence.
“This application could include proposed amendments on ticket sales,” read an FSA statement.
“The minister indicated that the government will work with the club and leagues to consider changes along these lines. It is for Chelsea FC to give clarity on where any revenues generated will be directed as part of this application.”
The American investment firm handling the sale – Raine Group – has stopped the process for now and has attempted to seek clarification on how a potential sale might go ahead.
How quickly the club can be sold once a buyer has been found depends on the government receiving assurances that the proceeds would not go to Abramovich, but securing those assurances could take time.
Deal
Those working on the deal on behalf of Abramovich were told that proceeds from the sale would go to a fund for victims of the war in Ukraine. It is understood that the £1.5bn loan from the Russian oligarch will not be deducted from the price.
At the start of the process Abramovich was looking for £3bn for the club, but that was already seen as an inflated price by industry experts before sanctions were imposed.
British property investor Nick Candy is among those still interested in buying Chelsea.
A spokesperson for Nick Candy said: “We are examining the details of yesterday’s announcement and we are still interested in making a bid.
“Clearly this is a time of great uncertainty for all Chelsea fans. In our view, no-one is the owner of a football club – you are the custodian of it for the fans and the community.”
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