Nineteen years ago, Roman Abramovich flew his helicopter over Stamford Bridge and changed the face of English football with his seemingly endless fortune. Yesterday, that all came to an end as the Chelsea owner and major shareholder in Evraz was placed on a sanctions list by the UK Government.
No one — not even Tottenham fans — wants to see the club go under. But it is clear that Abramovich must not be able to take a penny out of the club. Not least because the situation on the ground in Ukraine remains grim.
Russian forces are advancing closer to Kyiv, while new cities have become targets of Vladimir Putin’s war machine. It is right that the Government takes further steps.
Sanctions imposed on Russia are clearly broadening and deepening, while those in place have already had a seismic impact. This is a war not only being fought in Ukrainian cities at an appalling cost to human life, but in boardrooms and financial centres around the world.
Western companies, meanwhile, are withdrawing from Russia; those that do not will face a consumer backlash. And Moscow now talks of nationalising the assets of firms that leave, hardly a sign of confidence in its own economic future.
Liverpool legend Bill Shankly’s tongue was firmly in cheek when he quipped that football is more important than a matter of life and death. The game plays a vital role in our country and culture, but it is not more important than taking action to punish the Russian state for its illegal, immoral war of aggression against a sovereign state.
Chelsea fans, like everyone else, understand that.
