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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Chelsea squad break silence after sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich

Cesar Azpilicueta admits it has "not been a normal day" at Chelsea after sanctions were placed on the club.

Roman Abramovich has seen his assets frozen by the UK Government which has had knock-on affects for the west London outfit.

Chelsea travel to Carrow Road on Thursday night to take on Norwich City but will play without a sponsor after Three suspended their relationship with the club in light of the day's events.

The Blues have also seen their spending power capped when it comes to travel, player contracts and transfers.

Azpilicueta, who has been at the club for a decade, is the first member of the squad to speak following the actions taken against Abramovich.

Chelsea are looking to consolidate third place with a result at Norwich and the players are focused on the task at hand.

"I have to admit that this has not been a normal day. We cannot control this matter," Azpilicueta told Premier League Productions.

Will Chelsea's season be impacted by the club's off-field situation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Cesar Azpilicueta's own future at Chelsea is now in doubt due to his contract situation (Getty Images)

"We come here & we're focussed on the game & we know we have to fight for the three points. We have to forget about the stuff that is happening outside."

Azpilicueta's own future is now unclear with his contract due to expire in the summer.

As part of the sanctions placed on the club they cannot negotiate player contracts, leaving the defender in the lurch, whilst teammate Antonio Rudiger also sees his deal expire in a matter of months.

Abramovich's name had been read out in Parliament in recent weeks amid his alleged links to Russia President Vladimir Putin, who has waged an invasion on Ukraine.

Labour MP Lucy Powell, the Shadow Culture Secretary, has said: “We’ve long called for tough sanctions on those linked to the Putin regime including Abramovich.

"Football clubs are vital cultural and community assets and this will clearly have a huge impact on Chelsea."

Chelsea themselves released a statement saying: "Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK Government.

"By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has had his assets frozen by the UK Government (Getty Images)

"However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.

"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.

"The Club will update further when it is appropriate to do so."

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