Chelsea & Roman Abramovich: Is this a moment of reckoning for English football ownership?

The sanctioning of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has, perhaps like never before, forced English football to confront questions over who exactly should be allowed to own its top clubs.

With the risk of letting clubs becoming embroiled in geopolitics now exposed, football authorities and the government will face questions in parliament on the issue on Tuesday.

So what should and can be done? Why has it taken until now? Is it too late? And what damage has been done?

These are certainly chastening days for the sport. Sunday's match between imperilled Chelsea and Saudi Arabian-bankrolled Newcastle United was dubbed in places as 'the sportswashing derby'. It was portrayed by some critics as one of the darkest episodes in the history of the Premier League.

With the Club World champions in turmoil, sponsors deserting the club, and fears of financial ruin amid a block on merchandising and ticket sales, Chelsea's fans now face opprobrium because a section of their support continue to sing the name of the man whose fortune brought them almost two decades of glory.

This singing was despite the government describing Abramovich as «a pro-Kremlin oligarch» who has had a «close relationship» with Vladimir Putin for decades, and obtained «financial benefit» and «preferential treatment» from that relationship.

One of the companies Abramovich co-owns, the government claims, may even have made steel for Russian tanks. That has been denied by the firm and Abramovich — who has always denied links with the Russian President.

But given the horrors Putin has unleashed on Ukraine, many are appalled that so many Chelsea fans remain loyal to the oligarch, and concerned at what that reveals about football's