Chelsea kit sponsors Three suspend £40m-a-year deal as Roman Abramovich sanctions bite

dailystar.co.uk:

Chelsea look set to lose their main kit sponsor 'Three' in light of the sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich.The Blues are facing an uncertain future after they were hit with an unprecedented series of sanctions due to the Russian's link to Vladimir Putin.Only season ticket holders will be able to attend home matches, the club shop has been closed and players may not be able to leave amid the new restrictions.Now, Three have called for a temporary suspension of their sponsorship deal.In a statement, the company said: “In light of the government’s recently announced sanctions, we have requested Chelsea Football Club temporarily suspend our sponsorship of the club, including the removal of our brand from shirts and around the stadium until further notice.“We recognise that this decision will impact the many Chelsea fans who follow their team passionately.

However, we feel that given the circumstances, and the Government sanction that is in place, it is the right thing to do. “As a mobile network, the best way we can support the people of Ukraine is to ensure refugees arriving in the UK from the conflict and customers currently in Ukraine can stay connected to the people who matter to them.

Therefore, we are offering connectivity packages to all Ukrainians arriving in the UK, and those in Ukraine.” Chelsea take on Norwich this evening where players may now have to play at Carrow Road in plain blue shirts.

Abramovich was added to the UK sanctions list on Thursday morning due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Blues' club shop at Stamford Bridge remained open until 11am, before it shut its doors, while Chelsea's online store is still up.Chelsea's online ticket store is currently down for scheduled maintenance - with the.