Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich – Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is under the radar during the Ukraine-Russia conflict is ongoing. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran read out a list that featured Mr. Abramovich’s name alongside other oligarchs including Arsenal investor Alisher Usmanov. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss refused to say whether or not Mr. Abramovich would be targeted with sanctions, but suggested that others would be. Follow InsideSport.IN for the latest sports news and updates.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put under radar after being linked to Russian state and ‘corrupt activity’ – How will Chelsea be affected?
Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich is reported to have been effectively barred from living in Britain ever again. The billionaire has not been seen at his Premier League football club’s south-west London home, Stamford Bridge, for months. He withdrew his application for a British Tier 1 investor visa in 2018, after reported delays in his application following criticism of Russian oligarchs in the wake of the Salisbury poisonings.
⚽ Labour MP Chris Bryant has called for action against Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea FC, over his links to the Russian regime
He claims to have seen leaked Home Office documents which state Abramovic “remains of interest” to the governmentpic.twitter.com/fxCs8hTQn2
— PoliticsHome (@politicshome) February 24, 2022
Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put under radar
According to DailyMail, Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich is reported to have been effectively barred from living in Britain ever again. The billionaire has not been seen at his Premier League football club’s south-west London home, Stamford Bridge, for months.
According to The Sun, senior security sources now say it is unlikely that the 55-year-old will ever be allowed to live in Britain again. Immigration officials are reportedly under instructions to make it impossible for Mr Abramovich – who owns a £125million mansion near Kensington Palace – to base himself in the UK.
It comes after Mr Abramovich was named by MPs on Tuesday as being one of 35 oligarchs identified by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as one of the ‘key enablers’ of the ‘kleptocracy’ run by the country’s president Vladimir Putin.
In the Commons on Tuesday, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran read out a list that featured Mr Abramovich’s name alongside other oligarchs including Arsenal investor Alisher Usmanov. “We have a long list of those complicit in the actions of the Russian leadership,” she said. “Should Russia refuse to pull back its troops, we can keep turning up the heat, targeting more banks, elites and companies of significance.”
Ukraine-Russia Conflict: How will Chelsea be affected?
Chelsea who have won all trophies since Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003 and the latest trophy they won was the FIFA Club World Cup after beating Palmeiras in the Final. Chelsea are now on the verge of winning another trophy in the Roman Abramovich era as they face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final.
If Roman Abramovich is somehow removed as the Chelsea owner, Chelsea could find themselves in a very tough spot as they have seen a lot of success in the past years and more importantly under their new manager Thomas Tuchel. To recover from Abramovich’s removal will put Chelsea in a tough spot as they would have to seek new investors and board members.
Chelsea have won the Premier League five times since Abramovich took over while having won the Community Shield twice and the FA Cup five times. Most importantly having won the Champions League twice as well as the Europa League. Chelsea might take years to recover from a new management and board members and therefore is Roman Abramovich is asked to step down it will a loss for Chelsea as a whole.
Why is Schalke pulling its Gazprom shirt sponsorship?
A statement from the club reads: “In view of the events, development and escalation of the past few days, FC Schalke 04 has decided to remove the lettering of its main sponsor – “GAZPROM” – from the jerseys. “This step follows discussions with GAZPROM Germania. Instead, ‘Schalke 04’ will be on the chest of the Royal Blues.”
After Russian troops crossed the Ukraine border on Feb. 24 at the direction of Russian president Vladimir Putin, concern for the support of Russian-backed companies has grown across Europe and the world.
Gazprom is a natural gas company headquartered in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and is the largest publicly traded company in the nation. While it is a publicly traded company, it is majority-owned by the Russian government via a subdivision of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.
Which other clubs does Gazprom sponsor?
The Russian natural gas company has spent significant money to advertise around Europe. Gazprom is the primary shirt sponsor of Serbian club Red Star Belgrade, a deal which has been consistent since 2010.
In addition, Gazprom has connections to Premier League side Chelsea FC, which is owned by Russian business magnate Roman Abramovich. While the Russian billionaire used to have a significant stake in Gazprom, he sold his holdings to the Russian government in 2005.
Gazprom’s official website claims the company is the official energy supplier of Chelsea’s Cobham training ground. Gazprom’s logo does not at this time appear at the bottom of Chelsea’s official website alongside other sponsors such as Nike, Three, and Trivago.
Gazprom also has an official sponsorship with UEFA, a deal which was renewed last May, and reportedly worth around $15 million.
The oil company is a heavy presence around Russian soccer, with the stadium in Saint Petersburg named Gazprom Arena. The 2022 Champions League final was scheduled to take place at Gazprom Arena, but reportedly will be pulled from the venue due to the hostilities.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put under radar after being linked to Russian state and ‘corrupt activity’ – How will Chelsea be affected?
