Roman Abramovich was disqualified as Chelsea president. The Premiere league announced it. The press release also specifies that the club will be able to complete the current season. The UK government has reiterated its openness to granting a waiver of restrictions to allow the club to be sold. On Thursday, the UK government sanctioned the owner for his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea have been granted a new license to continue operations and the Blues are still in talks with the government to ease the restrictions. But the US-based Raine Group has assessed the terms of the divestiture and agreed a route for the sale with the government, according to the PA news agency. Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on March 2, pledging to cancel the Blues’ debt and divert all proceeds to a new foundation for the benefit of the victims of the war in Ukraine.
The progression of the sale with the Raine Group means that Chelsea suitors can once again carry forward their offers to take control of the European and world club champions. LA Dodgers share owner Todd Boehly remains well positioned to buy, as does Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. British real estate mogul Nick Candy has also confirmed his strong interest in buying the Blues and is building a consortium. Downing Street officials are keen to change the terms of the sanctions so Chelsea can operate as normally as possible while making sure Abramovich doesn’t make a profit. But Chelsea argue that Abramovich did not profit from the regular trades anyway, so they are hoping for a quick resumption of a series of currently limited trades. Chelsea cannot sell new tickets, leaving fans without season tickets or pre-purchased tickets unable to attend future matches. The Blues are unable to sell merchandise, including new match schedules, meaning vendors will not be able to work in Sunday’s Premier League clash against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.