Roman Abramovich blocked from selling Chelsea FC as Government sanctions leave club in limbo

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of their attempts to crack down on wealthy Russians with assets within the country.

The 55-year-old, who purchased the west London club back in June 2003, announced last week that he was putting the club up for sale following Russia's invasion of Ukraine a fortnight ago, with the net proceeds from the sale to be donated to "all victims of the war in Ukraine."

However, news that Abramovich, who said selling the club was in its "best interests," has been sanctioned by the government means any sale of the club - estimated to worth between £2-3billion has been blocked. He will also have his assets frozen under the move and will face tough measures on transactions in the UK with both individuals and businesses.

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It means that Chelsea can no longer sell tickets to regular matchgoers. Season ticket holders will only be allowed to attend matches for the foreseeable future, but the selling of any merchandise is prohibited.

The club - who on Thursday evening face Norwich - will continue to operate under a special license. However, new contracts for players and staff have been banned along with transfers.

In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There can be no safe havens for those who have supported [Vladimir] Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine. Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.

"We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies."

The UK has now sanctioned more than 200 different