Chelsea effectively controlled by British government following sanctions against Abramovich

LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) – Anyone interested in buying Chelsea Football Club can approach the British government and make a proposal, the government said on Friday after it sanctioned current owner Roman Abramovich.

European soccer champions Chelsea are now effectively controlled by the British government after sanctions were imposed against Russian owner Roman Abramovich on Thursday.

Abramovich, who had been under scrutiny following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, announced he was selling the Premier League club last week.

That process is now on hold, leaving the west London club, ranked by Forbes as the seventh most valuable in world soccer at $3.2 billion, in a state of limbo, operating under a special government licence.

“The licence is a safety net to protect the sport, the Premier League, the wider football pyramid down to the grassroots game, loyal fans and other clubs. It will deprive Mr Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club and mean he cannot circumvent UK sanctions,” the government said in a statement.

The Russian bought the club in 2003 for a reported 140 million pounds ($184 million) and his investment resulted in the most successful era in their history as they won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League twice.

“As the license conditions are written today, the sale would not be allowed. However, if a buyer emerged it would be open to that buyer or to that football club to approach the government and ask for the conditions to be varied in a way that allows that sale to take place,” Britain’s technology minister Chris Philp told Sky News.

Meanwhile,Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Friday that Britain will consider changes to Chelsea Football Club’s licence, granted to allow the team to keep playing following sanctions on its owner Roman Abramovich.

“We’re in constant contact with the club and the Premier League over any issues that have been raised through the sanctions and the licence that the Treasury have issued them,” the spokesman told reporters.

“It’s now up to the club to apply for any amended licence. I believe Chelsea have said that they will do that, and we’ll obviously work with the club and… the league to consider any operationally necessary changes.”

(Reporting by Alistair Smout and Andrew MacAskill; editing by William james)