Commentary: Can football fans afford to care only about the game after sanctions on Chelsea?

SEOUL: The English Premier League has never been short of drama on and off the pitch. But for Chelsea Football Club, the drama came in the form of the British government seizing control of the club on Mar 10 – the day it celebrated its 117th birthday. 

In an unprecedented move, the United Kingdom government sanctioned team owner, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, freezing his assets as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If the planned sale of the club does not go through relatively quickly, the club’s entire future is uncertain.

Some Chelsea fans have reacted with anger, with some even chanting Abramovich’s name in support at a recent match. After all, they question, why are fans being punished for something that they have no control over?

It’s unsurprising that some fans see Abramovich as a defining figure in their club’s history. Chelsea has long been a glamorous but unpredictable team in England, last winning the league in 1955 before Abramovich bought the club in 2003.

With him came a massive investment, estimated to be around US$1.5 billion in all. Chelsea soon became league champions, in the 2004-2005 season. In 19 years under Abramovich, the Blues won the Premier League five times and the UEFA Champions League twice. 

Back then, rival clubs were hard-pressed to compete with this new financial force. But it opened a door for a new wave of wealthy international owners, including Leicester City’s Thai duty-free giant King Power and Manchester United’s Glazer family.

Could Abramovich’s exit from English football be as pivotal as his arrival? It could well signal the start of a new era in English football. At the very least, it marks the end of one: The unquestioning, even welcoming, reaction to billions of pounds