Football expert Philippe Auclair believes Chelsea Football Club cannot survive following UK sanctions on owner Roman Abramovich.
Roman Abramovich was sanctioned on Thursday morning as part of attempts to crack down on wealthy Russians with assets in the UK.
Last week, Abramovich announced that he intends to sell the club after almost 20 years of ownership and pledged that net proceeds from the sale would be donated to "all victims of the war in Ukraine."
Speaking to OTB Sports on Thursday evening, Auclair stated the situation is dire for the London club.
"I'm still waiting to see how this will pan," claimed Auclair. "This could spell the end for the club.
"Given the level of debt to Roman Abramovich. Given that the club can only function thanks to the owner's investment over the past 20 years. This is part of the problem.
"I can't see how the club can survive; I really can't."
The Frenchman does not know whether Chelsea can be saved, given precedent from other clubs who have come into financial trouble.
"Generosity has not been given to other clubs like Portsmouth and Bury. The Chelsea support is huge. I know people who have been there since before Roman Abramovich, and I hope they will be there after him.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel celebrates with the trophy after the UEFA Champions League final match held at Estadio do Dragao in Porto, Portugal. Picture date: Saturday May 29, 2021."They won 19 trophies. Nobody in their right mind would want their club to end like this.
"Do we want the fans punished? Absolutely not. At the end moment, the situation is so fluid.
"There is no way Chelsea football club can survive. There might be a way out if Abramovich decides to walk away. It would be a loss of nationalisation if it happens.
"It would still leave him with a fortune of 7 billion; it's not exactly something to cry about. If he cares about the club, why wouldn't he do that?
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