English Premier League football club Chelsea will not be able to sell new tickets to matches following the sanctioning of its Russian owner Roman Abramovich.
Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government due to his close ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of neighbouring country Ukraine on February 24.
Abramovich’s assets have been frozen, meaning that he can no longer proceed with the sale of the club. Chelsea can no longer sell match tickets, with only existing season ticket holders allowed to attend games at Stamford Bridge.
A special license has been granted by the Government in order for this to happen, which also allows fixtures to be fulfilled and staff to be paid. The London club’s merchandise store will also be closed.
Costs associated with fixtures held at Stamford Bridge, including security, catering and stewarding, must also not exceed the value of £500,000 (€594,000/$659,000) per fixture per team. Fans who have already purchased tickets will be permitted to buy refreshments at Stamford Bridge.
In a statement released this afternoon, Chelsea said: “We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence.
“This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the club to operate as normal as possible. We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities.”
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Image: Andreas H. from Pixabay
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