Chelsea have decided to take action against sponsor exiles with what they did inside Stamford Bridge ahead of kick-off in the Premier League against Brentford.
On the pitch, it's been business as normal for the European Champions, who came into this latest west London derby six unbeaten in all competitions. But off the pitch, it was certainly a different story due to what has been going on with Roman Abramovich.
As well as being sanctioned by the UK government and EU, the Russian oligarch has been forced to sell the club. Something that is expected to be formalised by the end of the new month. But during the process of selling the club amid ever-growing Ricketts fears, as demonstrated by the latest protest and their statement in response, things certainly have not been normal service in SW6.
READ MORE: Tom Ricketts responds to Chelsea supporters amid Stamford Bridge ownership protest
The UK government's sanctions meant that tickets couldn't be sold despite the recent resolution for the upcoming FA Cup and UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid. Additionally, merchandise hasn't been able to be sold, and the club have been placed under a transfer embargo which has restricted planning work for Thomas Tuchel and co regarding building the perfect squad for next season.
This has all culminated in certain sponsors pulling out of their agreements with the Blues. Three mobile was the first to cause a stir with their reluctance to commit in the long-term to an outfit that wasn't allowed to make any money during this takeover process. They pulled out, and so did Hyundai, who followed suit shortly after. Trivago and Nike stayed loyal, which was a move widely appreciated by the fanbase.
Despite the impossibility to remove the aforementioned duo's logos from their matchday shirts including for the latest Premier League game against the Bees, the current European and World Champions have done something to hit back at their exiles.
As fans entered Stamford Bridge on Saturday, April 2, many noticed what the club had done in preparation for this game and going on forward for the rest of the season. According to the well-known @CFCDaily on Twitter, 'All sponsors who suspended partnership with Chelsea have had their advertisements covered up.'
Follow live match coverage of Chelsea vs Brentford on football.london here.
