Historian at Oxford University Timothy Garton Ash has urged Chelsea fans to make a stand against owner Roman Abramovich at future Chelsea games in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to impose certain economic sanctions on Russia which are set to hit the country hard and it's even been suggested by one Labour MP that Abramovich should be affected by these sanctions.
Speaking under parliamentary privilege after Russia president Putin launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine, the MP for Rhondda Chris Bryant said that Abramovich should be “no longer able to own a football club in this country” after reading an excerpt of what he claimed was a leaked 2019 document from the Home Office.
Abramovich has always vehemently denied any suggestion that he has direct links to Putin and he has been contacted for comment in relation to Mr Bryant’s allegation.
Reading directly from the document, Bryant said: "‘As part of HMG’s [Her Majesty’s Government’s] Russia strategy aimed at targeting illicit finance and malign activity, Abramovich remains of interest to HMG due to his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices’.
“‘HMG is focused on ensuring that his link to illicit finance and malign activity are unable to base themselves in the UK and will use the relevant tools at its disposal, including immigration powers to prevent this’.
“That is nearly three years ago and yet remarkably little has been done in relation. Surely Mr Abramovich should no longer be able to own a football club in this country? Surely we should be looking at seizing some of his assets including his £152million home? And making sure that other people who have had Tier 1 visas like this are not engaged in malign activity?”
Garton-Ash later had his say on the matter in the latest edition of BBC's Question Time.
He said: "I hope that Chelsea supporters, next time you go to a Chelsea match, unfold a banner saying: 'Roman Abramovich, what are you saying to Mr Putin?'"
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"He's also involved in this."
The presenter of the show, Fiona Bruce, stepped in to clarify that this wasn't the case to date with her interjection: "Well, I have to say and point out that he's not been subject to any legal process in the UK and therefore we need to be very careful with what is said."
Garton Ash then went on to backtrack: "That is perfectly correct and I don't want a libel action from Roman Abramovich but what I want to say with that is that London has been far too hospitable to people in a broad circle around Vladimir Putin."
Strong words from the historian in question but as Bruce confirmed, the Russian billionaire has not been sanctioned and even if he is to be in the forthcoming days, as per the Sun, Chelsea will not suffer as a financial consequence.
