Chelsea fans chant Roman Abramovich’s name during minute’s applause for Ukraine

Chelsea fans have been criticised for chanting the name of Russian owner Roman Abramovich during a minute’s applause in support of the victims of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Premier League clubs are making a show of solidarity with Ukraine during this weekend’s round of matches, with all 20 captains wearing yellow and blue armbands – the colours of Ukraine.

There has also been a moment of ‘reflection and solidarity’ before kick-off in each game, with the big screens at stadiums displaying a ‘Football Stands Together’ message.

But at Turf Moor on Saturday ahead of Burnley’s clash with Chelsea, as the home side rose to their feet to applaud the victims of Ukraine, the away end started to chant the name of their owner – who revealed on Wednesday he is looking to sell the club.

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They were quickly booed by Burnley fans, with the chant – and especially the timing of it – in rather poor taste given that Abramovich could face sanctions as a result of the invasion.

While the Russian oligarch has always denied having close ties to Putin, he is described as a ‘person of interest to the Home Office because of his links to the Russia state and his public association with corrupt activity’, as Labour leader Keir Starmer put it in parliament last week.

Labour MP Chris Bryant has led the calls for Abramovich to be sanctioned, claiming the 55-year-old is ‘terrified’ by the prospect of having his assets frozen and is in the process of selling off properties he owns in London.

A day after Bryant’s remarks, Abramovich publicly confirmed that he was actively looking to offload Chelsea – which he has owned since 2003 – and he is believed to have as