Chelsea blame Abramovich sanctions for £121m losses

Chelsea put losses of £121million in their latest financial records down to sanctions on former owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government.

The Blues posted their annual accounts, covering the 2021-22 season, showing significant losses in a period that included having to work under a special licence.

Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, believing he had close ties with president Vladimir Putin and freezing the assets of several individuals as a result.

That saw Chelsea forced to operate under a special licence, which restricted the club from selling tickets, accept event bookings and signing contracts with players until Todd Boehly’s takeover was completed on May 30, 2022.

In a statement on Monday, Chelsea added that these sanctions would be felt again “in the following years”.

“The results for the year have been impacted by the sanctions placed on the club’s previous owner on 10 March 2022,” the statement read.

“As a result of the sanctions, the club was required to operate within the limitations of a special licence issued by the UK government. These restrictions were in place until the completion of the Club’s sale on 30 May 2022.

Chelsea representing at Wembley! pic.twitter.com/wLvaMiHqH3

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 26, 2023

“During this period, the Club was restricted in a number of areas including, but not limited to, its ability to sell matchday and season tickets, sell merchandise, accept event bookings, as well as sign contracts with players and commercial sponsorship partners, which collectively resulted in extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue.

“Furthermore, some of these limitations are also expected to have an impact on the financials in the following years due to the long-term impact from restrictions on entering into new contractual arrangements.

“Towards the end of the sanctioned period, the club was permitted to sell certain matchday tickets, with the Premier League committing to donate all revenue from these sales to charity. The restrictions were lifted following the change in ownership, and all operations have now resumed.”

The Blues announced an overall net loss of £121.3m, though they confirmed they continue to meet the Premier League and UEFA’s financial regulations.