Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been added to a list of sanctioned individuals by the UK Government.
The Russian billionaire has had his assets frozen, meaning he will be no longer be able to sell the Premier League club as planned.
The 55-year-old put the Blues up for sale on March 2 in the wake of Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
The European champions have been given a special sporting licence to continue to operate but will be severely impacted financially.
This includes being unable to sell tickets, meaning only season ticket holders will be able to attend games at Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable future and shutting the club shop.
With a number of players out of contract in the summer, including skipper Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen, it remains to be seen how the latest development will affect the squad.
A Government statement confirmed: “Given the significant impact that today’s sanctions would have on Chelsea and the potential knock-on effects of this, the Government has this morning published a licence which authorises a number of football-related activities to continue at Chelsea.
“This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and other football-related activity which will, in turn, protect the Premier League, the wider football pyramid, loyal fans and other clubs.
“This licence will only allow certain explicitly named actions to ensure the designated individual is not able to circumvent UK sanctions. The licence will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the football authorities.”
