Roman Abramovich sanctions: What are Chelsea FC sanctions? Can Chelsea play matches? Is club shop closed?

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government, freezing the Russian-Israeli billionaire's planned sale of the Premier League club.

The 55-year-old put Chelsea up for sale on March 2 in the wake of Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich has owned Chelsea since 2003 and has always staunchly denied any current political links to Russia's ruling elite, but Boris Johnson's Government has now frozen all his UK assets.

The Stamford Bridge club has been given a special licence to continue operating due to its status as “a significant cultural asset”, but restrictions will have now been placed on how the club operates, which will impact on a sporting level, while the club’s reputation has also been damaged.

Chelsea Football Club has been impacted by the UK government sanctions against Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

What are the sanctions on Chelsea FC?

The first impact is on the sale of the club. This is now on hold as the club’s assets have been seized from Abramovich. However, the sale could still go through provided the Government issues a licence. Abramovich would have to prove he would not benefit from the sale to meet conditions of any potential licence.

The sale of match tickets has also been prohibited. Season tickets, however, remain valid, as do any match tickets sold before the sanctions came into force. That means away fans will be unable to attend Stamford Bridge until the sanctions end. Refreshments can still be served at Stamford Bridge.

No merchandise sales are allowed, while no transfers will be permitted, nor any contract renewals.

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

This means that current star players on expiring contracts, such as Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, could leave the club on free transfers at the end of the season. Long-serving centre-back Cesar Azpilicueta’s deal also expires this summer, putting his future at the club in doubt.

Chelsea will only be permitted “reasonable costs of travel to and from fixtures, not exceeeding the value of £20,000 per game.” This could cause issues for the club in the Champions Leage with Chelsea due to travel to France to face Lille next week, with the potential for longer trips abroad if they progress to the next round.

How many Chelsea season ticket holders are there?

Chelsea currently has around 28,000 season ticket holders.

Is the Chelsea club shop closed?

Yes. Chelsea are no longer permitted to sell merchandise and the club shop has closed.

Is Chelsea’s future in doubt?

The shape of Chelsea's long-term future has naturally been thrown into doubt, but Government ministers were quick to insist any damage would be limited.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said on Twitter: "Our priority is to hold those who have enabled the Putin regime to account.

"Today's sanctions obviously have a direct impact on Chelsea and its fans. We have been working hard to ensure the club & the national game are not unnecessarily harmed by these important sanctions.

"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. We're committed to protecting them."

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