Bovril Gate entrance is seen outside Stamford Bridge, the stadium for Chelsea Football Club, after Britain imposed sanctions on its Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, in London, Britain, March 10, 2022. — Reuters pic
LONDON, March 11 — Anyone interested in buying Chelsea Football Club can approach the British government and make a proposal, the government said today after it sanctioned current owner Roman Abramovich and halted his planned sale of the club.
“As the license conditions are written today, the sale would not be allowed,” Britain’s technology minister Chris Philp told Sky News.
“However, if a buyer emerged it would be open to that buyer or to that football club to approach the government and ask for the conditions to be varied in a way that allows that sale to take place.”
The government, which has been under pressure to ramp up sanctions on Russian oligarchs after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine late last month, imposed a travel ban and froze the assets owned by Abramovich yesterday.
The announcement effectively brought to a halt his recently-announced plans to sell the West London football club, which he had expected to fetch more than GBP3 billion (RM16.5 billion).
Separately, London-listed Russian steelmaker Evraz, in which Abramovich is the largest shareholder with a 28.6 per cent stake according to Refinitiv Eikon, said today its entire board had quit. — Reuters