The Premier League disqualified Roman Abramovich as Chelsea Club Director today.
Chelsea's future remains uncertain.
The only thing that is certain right now is that Roman Abramovich will not be the owner of the club so long as it remains in the Premier League. Chelsea are in a holding pattern. Abramovich has no motivation to sell the club because he is not allowed to profit from its sale.
But he can also not invest in the club, nor is the club capable of creating its own financial sustainability without him because of the sanctions against the Russian Oligarch.
Chelsea's future is likely to be one of three things:
- The government will seize the club outright.
- It will continue to function under sanctions before financially falling apart.
- Abramovich will sell the club without making any profit from the sale.
Option three seems the least likely.
The UK government forced Abramovich into this position. They took the initiative while the Premier League waited. The Premier League are now acting in the shadow of the government.
On Saturday, they released this statement:
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 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.
Horse bolted. Door closed.
The Premier League's actions are largely inconsequential. Abramovich is already incapable of being Club Director because of the sanctions. Normally, this would be a meaningful act. If it happened before the government sanctions, it would have forced Abramovich to sell the club.
Since the Premier League waited for the government to lead the way, there is no material fallout.
Chelsea face Newcastle on Sunday at 2:00pm. They then face Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday.
But the short-term success on the field won't matter if the uncertainty around the club continues. Unless the government seizes the club outright or allows Abramovich to profit off its sale, it's hard to see how they will retain their players and pay their wages. Chelsea continue to tread muddy waters.
Seamus Coleman's days are numbered in the Premier League
Football on Off The Ball brought to you by Sky. All the football you love in one place across Sky Sports, BT Sport & Premier Sports.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
