Chelsea sanctions prompt soul-searching over football finance

(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 20, 2011 The Chelsea football club badge is seen in the stadium during the English Premier League football match at Stamford Bridge in London. – Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich on March 2, 2022, confirmed he will sell the Premier League club amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian billionaire Abramovich has decided it is in the “best interest” of the Champions League holders if he parts ways with the club he has transformed since his purchase in 2003. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)

The chaos engulfing Chelsea following sanctions imposed on Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has sparked fresh debate over the sources of money that fuel Europe’s richest league.

The Premier League club had their assets frozen after Abramovich was targeted by the British government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leaving them to cope with a ban on ticket sales and merchandise.

An expedited sale of the European champions will soon bring the curtain down on 19 years of nearly unbroken success under their 55-year-old owner, who has overseen five Premier League titles and two Champions League triumphs.

Chelsea’s first home game since the sanctions were imposed was against Newcastle, whose own ownership model is also in the spotlight after a controversial takeover in October by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

Rights group Amnesty raised concerns over the purchase, saying it was an attempt to “sportswash” the Gulf kingdom’s human rights record.

Reflecting the intensified focus on off-field issues, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was forced to field questions after the Chelsea game about scores of executions in Saudi Arabia instead of incidents during the match.

Newcastle