Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of their attempts to crack down on wealthy Russians with assets within the country.
The 55-year-old, who purchased the west London club back in June 2003, announced last week that he was putting the club up for sale following Russia's invasion of Ukraine a fortnight ago, with the net proceeds from the sale to be donated to "all victims of the war in Ukraine."
However, news that Abramovich, who said selling the club was in its "best interests," has been sanctioned by the government means any sale of the club - estimated to worth between £2-3billion has been blocked. He will also have his assets frozen under the move and will face tough measures on transactions in the UK with both individuals and businesses.
It means that Chelsea can no longer sell matchday tickets. Season ticket holders will only be allowed to attend matches for the foreseeable future, but the selling of any merchandise is prohibited.
In the meantime, the Blues, who are scheduled to face Leeds United on April 16, will continue to operate under a special license. However, new contracts for players and staff have been banned along with transfers.
Under this sanction, it is understood that fans who purchased tickets for a game prior to Thursday, March 10 may 'attend fixtures and purchase refreshments while attending these fixtures'.
However, as things stand, Chelsea are now unable to sell match tickets for any home and away matches. This means that the Blues will currently have no supporters to their trip to Elland Road next month as tickets haven't gone on sale yet.
Chelsea are in action at Norwich City tonight, before facing Newcastle United in an already sold-out home fixture at the weekend.
In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There can be no safe havens for those who have supported [Vladimir] Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine. Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.
"We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies."
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."
British billionaire Nick Candy was the latest high-profile business magnate to throw their hat into the ring for Chelsea's sale, amid a host of suitors for the Champions League holders.
Swiss tycoon Hansjorg Wyss and American investor Todd Boehly were also in the running, with more than 10 credible parties understood to have been compiling bids.
A Chelsea Supporters’ Trust Spokesperson said: "The CST notes with concern the Government's statement regarding the owner. Supporters must be involved in any conversation regarding ongoing impacts on the club and its global fan base.
"The CST implores the Government to conduct a swift process to minimise the uncertainty over Chelsea's future, for supporters and for supporters to be given a golden share as part of a sale of the club."
