Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as they crackdown on Russian oligarchs who have assets in the country.The Blues chief was one of seven oligarchs to have sanctions placed on them by ministers on Thursday morning - bringing the overall tally to more than 200 individuals and entities.Abramovich had pledged to donate next proceeds of the sale to "all victims of the war in Ukraine" - but his plans will be disrupted by the sanctions.The club is said to be worth in the region of £3billion, with several interested parties said to have made contact ahead of a possible change in ownership.Although the assets of Abramovich have been frozen, Chelsea have been given a special licence to continue their season.The news means that only season ticket holders will be able to attend upcoming fixtures, with further blocks on the sale of any merchandise, player transfers and new contracts.The club are able to continue with all 'football related activities' but the sale of the club has effectively been barred.The update comes just hours before Chelsea take on Norwich in the Premier League - but won't disrupt the planned fixture.Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said of the club's license: "To ensure the club can continue to compete and operate we are issuing a special licence that will allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches while, crucially, depriving Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club."I know this brings some uncertainty, but the government will work with the league and clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions hit those intended. "Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities.
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