Hyundai are the latest sponsors of Chelsea to say they are assessing their position with the club following sanctions placed upon Roman Abramovich on Thursday morning.
The 55-year-old Russian was added to the UK government's sanction list and saw his assets frozen but the Blues remain able to operate under a 'Russian Regulation' licence that sees a number of restrictions placed upon the club. One of which means the club can't use any income from sponsorship deals when it is a frozen asset.
The South Korean automotive manufacturer have been Chelsea's shirt sleeve sponsor since 2018 when they announced a four-year deal suspected to be worth in the region of £10million each season. Their deal as a result is set to expire this year, but the company will assess their situation following the sanctions.
A spokesperson said: “Hyundai has become one of the strongest partners in football over the years & the company supports the sport to be a force for good. We are currently assessing the situation with Chelsea FC.”
They are not the only figures to have considered their position with mobile network Three first announcing the same before requesting that their sponsorship be suspended.
They have stopped short of terminating the deal, which is worth about £40million a year, signalling that Three could return if the club is taken over by a new owner.
Their statement read: "In light of the government's recently announced sanctions, we have requested Chelsea Football Club temporarily suspend our sponsorship of the club, including the removal of our brand from shirts and around the stadium until further notice.
"We recognise that this decision will impact the many Chelsea fans who follow their team passionately.
"However, we feel that given the circumstances, and the Government sanctions that is in place, it is the right thing to do."
