News broke this week that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had been sanctioned by the UK government as part of their attempts to crack down on wealthy Russians with assets within the country.
The 55-year-old, who purchased the club back in June 2003, announced last week that he was putting the club up for sale following Russia's invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago, with the net proceeds from the sale to be donated to "all victims of the war in Ukraine." However, news that Abramovich — who said selling the club was in its "best interests" — has been sanctioned by the government means any sale of the club (estimated to worth between £2-3billion) has been blocked.
With the owner's assets frozen, Chelsea can no longer sell tickets. Season ticket holders will only be allowed to attend matches for the foreseeable future, but the selling of any merchandise is prohibited. READ MORE: 'Alarm bells are ringing' - Mauricio Pochettino sent Manchester United message after PSG collapse Furthermore, new contracts for players and staff have been banned, along with transfers.
This is set to have a hugely detrimental impact on a number of key players with contracts expiring at the club. One of those is defender Antonio Rudiger who was already widely expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.
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