March 12, (THEWILL) – The Premier League has barred Roman Abramovich from serving as a director of Chelsea Football Club.
“Following the imposition of sanctions by the UK Government, the Premier League Board has disqualified Roman Abramovich as a Director of Chelsea Football Club”, the EPL said in a statement.
“The Board’s decision does not impact on the club’s ability to train and play its fixtures, as set out under the terms of a licence issued by the Government, which expires on 31 May 2022.”
THEWILL recalls that there has been a lot of uncertainty in the club about how it will handle the pressures of the operating licence, under which it was placed after the government sanctions. Immediately after, the club’s sponsor, Three Mobile, pulled out of their deal and requested that the club remove its brand from their shirts.
Their bank accounts were also frozen by Barclays, albeit temporarily and some of their credit operators were reluctant to offer services to the club, with the cloud of financial uncertainty that hangs on the club at Stamford Bridge under the government sanctions.
This latest move by the EPL was not unexpected and will only make the club’s situation even more dire going forward, even though the coaching crew and players are determined to focus on the football and getting results, while operating under the current licence.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
