Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Abramovich disqualified as Chelsea director

Abramovich disqualified as Chelsea director

The Premier League has disqualified Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich as a director of the club after the oligarch was sanctioned by the UK government.

Also on Saturday, sleeve sponsor Hyundai became the latest company to suspend its deal with the club.

Abramovich had his British assets - including Chelsea - frozen on Thursday as part of the government's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The move put the Russian's prospective sale of the club on hold.

The Premier League said Abramovich's disqualification would "not impact on the club's ability to train and play".

Removing an owner from a board would usually trigger the sale of the shares, a process that Abramovich had instigated on 2 March after the threat of sanctions was raised in Parliament.

He had instructed American investment firm Raine Group to seek £3bn for the club, but finance experts believe that price could drop given the current uncertainty around Chelsea.

Raine Group temporarily halted the sale process on Thursday while answers were sought from the government about the implications of the sanctions.

The government is open to considering an addition to the special licence it granted the club that would allow a sale to go ahead.

A condition for that to happen, however, would be that Abramovich - one of Russia's richest people and believed to be close to the country's president, Vladimir Putin - receives none of the proceeds.

The special licence granted by the government will allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket-holders to attend matches.

Chelsea, however, cannot receive money for match tickets which have not already been sold, future gate receipts for FA Cup games or money from merchandise sold via the club shop.

The European champions will also be unable to buy or sell players, or offer new contracts, while the sanctions are in place on Abramovich and he still owns the club.

An amendment to the licence has been granted by the government, allowing Chelsea to spend up to £900,000 on costs for home games, up from the £500,000 set on Thursday.

The allowable away costs of travel, however, remain at £20,000 per game.

The licence update also allows the club to receive prize money from existing competitions including Premier League payments and Champions League money for getting through each round.

A statement from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirming the changes to the licence also welcomed the league's move to disqualify Abramovich as a club director.

"The government has made clear that we need to hold to account those who have enabled the Putin regime," the DCMS statement said.

Hyundai suspends deal


South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai is the second sponsor to suspend its deal, after Chelsea's main shirt sponsor Three suspended its £40m-a-year deal on Thursday.

Hyundai signed a multi-year partnership with the Blues in 2018

Like Three, Hyundai has asked for its logo to be removed from the team's shirts "as soon as feasibly possible".

"Hyundai has become one of the strongest partners in football over the years and the company supports the sport to be a force for good," the company said.

"Through our partnership with Chelsea, we are proud supporters of the players, the fans and grassroots football. However, in the current circumstances, we have taken the decision to suspend our marketing and communication activities with the club until further notice."

Hyundai have been Chelsea's sleeve sponsor since 2018


Analysis

Simon Stone, BBC Sport football reporter

The unravelling of Roman Abramovich's time as Chelsea owner is happening at rapid pace.

It is only 28 days since Abramovich celebrated on the pitch with manager Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea became world club champions.

Now, the club is up for sale and Abramovich is becoming a non-person within the Premier League.

He wasn't involved in the sale of the club even before this latest development but it does underline the need for a deal to be done pretty quickly.

The name of the man who changed Chelsea's fortunes may still be revered by some of the club's supporters but it is clear his association with Vladimir Putin is creating serious issues at Stamford Bridge.

A sale cannot come soon enough.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×