London: The British government on Thursday allowed Chelsea club to run a number of football-related activities meaning its fixtures to be fulfilled, its staff and the running costs of its ground can be paid, and so existing ticket holders for Chelsea games can attend matches.
The licence is a safety net to protect the sport, the Premier League, the wider football pyramid down to the grassroots game, loyal fans and other clubs. It will deprive Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club and mean he cannot circumvent UK sanctions.
The Government will keep the licence under constant review and it will work closely with the relevant football authorities and the club to protect it from irreparable damage that would prevent it from competing, Government said in a statement.
Ambramovich had assets frozen this morning as part of a raft of further sanctions against individuals linked to the Russian regime. Freezing his assets means he cannot benefit from his ownership and make any money from Chelsea.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said, “Putin’s attack on Ukraine continues and we are witnessing new levels of evil by the hour. We are now turning the screw on influential oligarchs enabling his regime.”