Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matt Maltby & Samuel Meade

Chelsea fans sing Roman Abramovich's name in support of owner after government sanctions

Chelsea fans appeared to chant Roman Abramovich's name ahead of their Premier League clash with Norwich on Thursday night.

The Government has frozen the assets of the Blues owner due to his association to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who launched an invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago.

Chelsea have been granted a special licence to continue operating but under strict conditions to ensure the club - and by extension Abramovich - do not benefit from the generation of any new revenue.

Shirt sponsor Three has already said its three-year deal is under review, and the club are not allowed to sign or sell players under the terms of the licence.

Chelsea fans appeared to chant Roman Abramovich's name (UEFA via Getty Images)

Despite all the uncertainty, Chelsea were back in action on Thursday night when they travelled to Carrow Road to face relegation-threatened Norwich.

But the fixture got off to a sour start when some Blues fans were heard chanting: "Roman Abramovich".

The unsavoury incident occurred just hours after the shock news regarding Abramovich, which emerged on Thursday morning.

The UK government sanctioned Abramovich amid ties to Putin, that the Chelsea owner has always strongly denied.

A host of parties have signalled interest in buying Chelsea and Downing Street have now confirmed the Government could still oversee a sale.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said: "We are now talking to Chelsea Football Club and those conversations will continue. It would be part of those discussions the terms of any specific licence that's granted to allow any sale to proceed.

Chelsea were in action against Norwich on Thursday night (AFP via Getty Images)

"The important thing is under no circumstances would any sale allow Roman Abramovich to profit from that or take any money from that sale.

"It's fair to say the Government is open to the sale of the club but currently it would require another licence and that would require further conversation with the Treasury and other departments."

Chelsea will be subject to a transfer ban and be blocked from negotiating new contracts with current players, after all of Abramovich's UK assets were frozen.

Defenders Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are all out of contract at the end of the season, leaving the senior trio in a state of short-term limbo.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said on Twitter : "Our priority is to hold those who have enabled the Putin regime to account.

"Today's sanctions obviously have a direct impact on Chelsea and its fans. We have been working hard to ensure the club & the national game are not unnecessarily harmed by these important sanctions.

"To ensure the club can continue to compete and operate we are issuing a special licence that will allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches while, crucially, depriving Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club.

"I know this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league and 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."

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel before the match at Norwich (REUTERS)

Abramovich has changed the face of British football in his time as Chelsea owner, leading the Blues to 21 trophies in 19 years in a clean sweep of all global competitions.

But that era has been brought to a halt amid Putin and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Chelsea cannot sell any new tickets to supporters, but all tickets sold before March 10 will be honoured.

Season ticket holders can still attend matches unaffected, while refreshments can still be served at Stamford Bridge.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.