https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60689645
Roman Abramovich: Sanction of Chelsea owner by UK government halts club's sale
10 Mar 2022
Roman Abramovich's attempt to sell Chelsea has been halted after the
oligarch was sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to
Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian, who has owned the club since 2003, put the European champions
up for sale after the threat of sanctions was raised in Parliament.
The club's seizure also means Chelsea cannot sell further match tickets.
The move comes to stop Abramovich, 55, from making money from Chelsea.
The government says it will issue a special licence that will allow
fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket-holders to
attend matches.
Season-ticket holders can still attend games for which they have tickets
but the club cannot now sell any more tickets. The club's merchandise shop
will also be shut.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/12562138/
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned by UK Government
Thursday 10 March 2022 10:31, UK
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government -
meaning he is now unable to sell the club.
Abramovich has had "his assets frozen, a prohibition on transactions with
UK individuals and businesses, a travel ban and transport sanctions"
imposed on him. There is now doubt as to whether he will be able to sell
the club due to the restrictions he is under.
The government have granted Chelsea a special license to allow fixtures to
be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend
matches. It is unclear if the license covers just Chelsea's first team or
all teams, including the women's and junior sides.
Nadine Dorries, the minister for Sport and Culture, has tweeted: "I know
this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league
& 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."
A government statement said: "Given the significant impact that today's
sanctions would have on Chelsea football club and the potential knock on
effects of this, the Government has this morning published a licence which
authorises a number of football-related activities to continue at Chelsea.
"This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and
other football related activity which will in turn protect the Premier
League, the wider football pyramid, loyal fans and other clubs. This
licence will only allow certain explicitly named actions to ensure the
designated individual is not able to circumvent UK sanctions. The licence
will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the
football authorities."
Sky Sports News understands that Chelsea and government officials will
meet on Thursday.
A Chelsea Supporters' Trust Spokesperson said: "The CST notes with concern
the Government's statement regarding the owner. Supporters must be
involved in any conversation regarding ongoing impacts on the club and its
global fan base.
"The CST implores the Government to conduct a swift process to minimise
the uncertainty over Chelsea's future, for supporters and for supporters
to be given a golden share as part of a sale of the club."
Abramovich has been sanctioned along with six of Russia's wealthiest and
most influential oligarchs, whose business empires, wealth and connections
are closely associated with Vladimir Putin's regime. They have a net worth
of ￡15bn.
Those sanctioned are:
˙Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea FC and has stakes in steel giant
Evraz and Norilsk Nickel
˙Oleg Deripaska has stakes in En+ Group
˙Igor Sechin is the chief executive of Rosneft
˙Andrey Kostin is chairman of VTB bank
˙Alexei Miller is CEO of energy company Gazprom
˙Nikolai Tokarev is president of the Russia state-owned pipeline company
Transneft
˙Dmitri Lebedev is chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Rossiya
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There can be no safe havens for those
who have supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine.
"Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for
the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the
killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of
sovereign allies."
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: "Today's sanctions show once
again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or
society. With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his
aggression.
"The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang
their heads in shame.
"Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will not stop in this mission
to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his
brutal war machine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/explained-how-chelsea-affected-abramovich
-sanctions/bltde22a5b972876413
Explained: How Chelsea are affected by Abramovich sanctions
Nizaar Kinsella 10 Mar 2022 19:15+08:00
˙Will Chelsea still be sold?
Chelsea can still be sold provided the sale does not benefit Abramovich or
the Russian Federation, and the club are in discussions with the government
about next steps.
˙What about Chelsea's matches?
Chelsea can continue to play matches under a special 'Russia Regulations'
licence which also allows their 1,400 staff - including players - to be
paid.
The upcoming Thursday evening kick-off against Norwich in the Premier
League will go ahead, but only season ticket holders will be allowed to
attend home games with further ticket sales barred.
˙Will Chelsea still be able to buy & sell players?
The Blues are not allowed to sign any new players due to the terms of
their licence. It effectively places another transfer ban on the European
and world champions, with the club having already endured one just three
years ago.
Although Chelsea are banned from making transfers, they can move money in
and out of other clubs for outstanding payments related to deals done
before the sanctions were imposed on March 10.
˙Will Chelsea contract renewals be affected?
Chelsea cannot continue their efforts to renew the contracts of their
players, with expiring deals like Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and
Andreas Christensen having been previously high on their agenda.
Their deals run out in the summer, as do the contracts of several talented
youth players, including Xavier Simons.
It could force the club to hold onto all players currently under contract,
due to their inability to bring players in, should the issue not be
resolved in the near future.
˙What about sponsorship deals?
Chelsea's main shirt sponsor, 3, is known to be reviewing its deal with
Chelsea.
“Sanctions placed on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich by the UK Government
casts a shadow over Chelsea's many commercial agreements, including its
$52.5 million (￡40m) front-of-shirt deal with Telecom's brand 3, and its
$72m (￡55m) kit deal with Nike,” says Conrad Wiacek, Head of Sport
Analysis at GloblalData, a leading data and analytics company.
“While Chelsea has a sporting licence to continue trading as a soccer
club, many brands will be wary of guilt by association.
“Chelsea FC is still one of the biggest clubs in the world and its
on-field success still makes it an attractive commercial partner. However,
given the rate at which many brands are looking to dissociate themselves
from the Russian state, some may be wary of continuing partnerships.
“Nike's deal with Chelsea runs until 2032, so the apparel brand may
decide to wait the situation out until the club's sale is able to
continue. However, brands such as Hyundai and Hublot, which have deals
worth over $20m (￡15m) combined expiring at the end of 2021-22 season,
may not have that luxury.”
˙Are there any other details at this stage?
Chelsea will be allowed to spend some money on staging matches at Stamford
Bridge and in travelling to away matches.
A spending limit of just ￡20,000, however, applies to travel to away
games, and could cause issues with preparations for Champions League
fixtures in particular. The club will also have to prove that such costs
are 'reasonable costs'.
Chelsea are also barred from receiving any revenue from merchandising
sales, but will be allowed to take revenue from broadcasting matches.
˙What is Roman Abramovich's net worth?
Abramovich is said to be worth ￡9 billion ($12bn) and valued Chelsea at
￡3bn ($4bn) during his negotiations to sell the club.
˙When will the sanctions be lifted?
It is currently unclear if or when the sanctions will be lifted. It
relates directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin's activity and the
invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions will be reviewed in May, but there are further risks of a
nine-point deduction should Chelsea go into administration.
--
當我漫遊在斯坦弗森林時，我看見了雀爾西，米爾斯的女兒，在傍晚初升的明月中，
在泰晤士河旁一處林地空間上翩然舞蹈。所有痛苦的記憶都離開了我，我像落入迷離
幻境中一般，因為雀爾西是伊露維塔兒女中最美的一位。她身上那襲藍色的衣裳宛如
萬里無雲的晴空，她灰色的眼睛像是傍晚群星閃爍的天空；她的斗篷上繡著金色的花
朵，她的頭髮漆黑如暮色中的陰影。她的榮光與美好，就像樹葉上的光芒，像是潺潺
流水，像是這迷離世界上方閃爍的繁星；她臉上有閃亮的光輝。
--
Roman Abramovich: Sanction of Chelsea owner by UK government halts club's sale
10 Mar 2022
Roman Abramovich's attempt to sell Chelsea has been halted after the
oligarch was sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to
Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian, who has owned the club since 2003, put the European champions
up for sale after the threat of sanctions was raised in Parliament.
The club's seizure also means Chelsea cannot sell further match tickets.
The move comes to stop Abramovich, 55, from making money from Chelsea.
The government says it will issue a special licence that will allow
fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket-holders to
attend matches.
Season-ticket holders can still attend games for which they have tickets
but the club cannot now sell any more tickets. The club's merchandise shop
will also be shut.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/12562138/
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned by UK Government
Thursday 10 March 2022 10:31, UK
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government -
meaning he is now unable to sell the club.
Abramovich has had "his assets frozen, a prohibition on transactions with
UK individuals and businesses, a travel ban and transport sanctions"
imposed on him. There is now doubt as to whether he will be able to sell
the club due to the restrictions he is under.
The government have granted Chelsea a special license to allow fixtures to
be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend
matches. It is unclear if the license covers just Chelsea's first team or
all teams, including the women's and junior sides.
Nadine Dorries, the minister for Sport and Culture, has tweeted: "I know
this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league
& 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."
A government statement said: "Given the significant impact that today's
sanctions would have on Chelsea football club and the potential knock on
effects of this, the Government has this morning published a licence which
authorises a number of football-related activities to continue at Chelsea.
"This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and
other football related activity which will in turn protect the Premier
League, the wider football pyramid, loyal fans and other clubs. This
licence will only allow certain explicitly named actions to ensure the
designated individual is not able to circumvent UK sanctions. The licence
will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the
football authorities."
Sky Sports News understands that Chelsea and government officials will
meet on Thursday.
A Chelsea Supporters' Trust Spokesperson said: "The CST notes with concern
the Government's statement regarding the owner. Supporters must be
involved in any conversation regarding ongoing impacts on the club and its
global fan base.
"The CST implores the Government to conduct a swift process to minimise
the uncertainty over Chelsea's future, for supporters and for supporters
to be given a golden share as part of a sale of the club."
Abramovich has been sanctioned along with six of Russia's wealthiest and
most influential oligarchs, whose business empires, wealth and connections
are closely associated with Vladimir Putin's regime. They have a net worth
of ￡15bn.
Those sanctioned are:
˙Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea FC and has stakes in steel giant
Evraz and Norilsk Nickel
˙Oleg Deripaska has stakes in En+ Group
˙Igor Sechin is the chief executive of Rosneft
˙Andrey Kostin is chairman of VTB bank
˙Alexei Miller is CEO of energy company Gazprom
˙Nikolai Tokarev is president of the Russia state-owned pipeline company
Transneft
˙Dmitri Lebedev is chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Rossiya
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There can be no safe havens for those
who have supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine.
"Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for
the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the
killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of
sovereign allies."
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: "Today's sanctions show once
again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or
society. With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his
aggression.
"The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang
their heads in shame.
"Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will not stop in this mission
to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his
brutal war machine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/explained-how-chelsea-affected-abramovich
-sanctions/bltde22a5b972876413
Explained: How Chelsea are affected by Abramovich sanctions
Nizaar Kinsella 10 Mar 2022 19:15+08:00
˙Will Chelsea still be sold?
Chelsea can still be sold provided the sale does not benefit Abramovich or
the Russian Federation, and the club are in discussions with the government
about next steps.
˙What about Chelsea's matches?
Chelsea can continue to play matches under a special 'Russia Regulations'
licence which also allows their 1,400 staff - including players - to be
paid.
The upcoming Thursday evening kick-off against Norwich in the Premier
League will go ahead, but only season ticket holders will be allowed to
attend home games with further ticket sales barred.
˙Will Chelsea still be able to buy & sell players?
The Blues are not allowed to sign any new players due to the terms of
their licence. It effectively places another transfer ban on the European
and world champions, with the club having already endured one just three
years ago.
Although Chelsea are banned from making transfers, they can move money in
and out of other clubs for outstanding payments related to deals done
before the sanctions were imposed on March 10.
˙Will Chelsea contract renewals be affected?
Chelsea cannot continue their efforts to renew the contracts of their
players, with expiring deals like Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and
Andreas Christensen having been previously high on their agenda.
Their deals run out in the summer, as do the contracts of several talented
youth players, including Xavier Simons.
It could force the club to hold onto all players currently under contract,
due to their inability to bring players in, should the issue not be
resolved in the near future.
˙What about sponsorship deals?
Chelsea's main shirt sponsor, 3, is known to be reviewing its deal with
Chelsea.
“Sanctions placed on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich by the UK Government
casts a shadow over Chelsea's many commercial agreements, including its
$52.5 million (￡40m) front-of-shirt deal with Telecom's brand 3, and its
$72m (￡55m) kit deal with Nike,” says Conrad Wiacek, Head of Sport
Analysis at GloblalData, a leading data and analytics company.
“While Chelsea has a sporting licence to continue trading as a soccer
club, many brands will be wary of guilt by association.
“Chelsea FC is still one of the biggest clubs in the world and its
on-field success still makes it an attractive commercial partner. However,
given the rate at which many brands are looking to dissociate themselves
from the Russian state, some may be wary of continuing partnerships.
“Nike's deal with Chelsea runs until 2032, so the apparel brand may
decide to wait the situation out until the club's sale is able to
continue. However, brands such as Hyundai and Hublot, which have deals
worth over $20m (￡15m) combined expiring at the end of 2021-22 season,
may not have that luxury.”
˙Are there any other details at this stage?
Chelsea will be allowed to spend some money on staging matches at Stamford
Bridge and in travelling to away matches.
A spending limit of just ￡20,000, however, applies to travel to away
games, and could cause issues with preparations for Champions League
fixtures in particular. The club will also have to prove that such costs
are 'reasonable costs'.
Chelsea are also barred from receiving any revenue from merchandising
sales, but will be allowed to take revenue from broadcasting matches.
˙What is Roman Abramovich's net worth?
Abramovich is said to be worth ￡9 billion ($12bn) and valued Chelsea at
￡3bn ($4bn) during his negotiations to sell the club.
˙When will the sanctions be lifted?
It is currently unclear if or when the sanctions will be lifted. It
relates directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin's activity and the
invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions will be reviewed in May, but there are further risks of a
nine-point deduction should Chelsea go into administration.
--
當我漫遊在斯坦弗森林時，我看見了雀爾西，米爾斯的女兒，在傍晚初升的明月中，
在泰晤士河旁一處林地空間上翩然舞蹈。所有痛苦的記憶都離開了我，我像落入迷離
幻境中一般，因為雀爾西是伊露維塔兒女中最美的一位。她身上那襲藍色的衣裳宛如
萬里無雲的晴空，她灰色的眼睛像是傍晚群星閃爍的天空；她的斗篷上繡著金色的花
朵，她的頭髮漆黑如暮色中的陰影。她的榮光與美好，就像樹葉上的光芒，像是潺潺
流水，像是這迷離世界上方閃爍的繁星；她臉上有閃亮的光輝。
--
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