Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Abramovich’s Chelsea move could be attempt to avoid sanctions, says MP

Abramovich’s Chelsea move could be attempt to avoid sanctions, says MP

Roman Abramovich’s decision to pass the stewardship of Chelsea to the trustees of the club’s charitable foundation could be an attempt by the Russian to avoid being sanctioned, a Labour MP has said
Roman Abramovich’s decision to pass the stewardship of Chelsea to the trustees of the club’s charitable foundation could be an attempt by the Russian to avoid being sanctioned, a Labour MP has said.

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP who told parliament that Abramovich should be sanctioned last Thursday, questioned the significance of the move to transfer stewardship and raised fears that it could be a ploy to stop the UK government targeting the 55-year-old. Abramovich, who bought Chelsea in 2003, relinquished the running of the club on Saturday and the move was said to have been provoked by the increased focus on him following the invasion of Ukraine.

However Abramovich, who has vehemently disputed reports suggesting his alleged closeness to Vladimir Putin and Russia or that he has done anything to merit being sanctioned, remains Chelsea’s owner and can still fund the club. Chelsea, who could be vulnerable if Abramovich is sanctioned, remain under the same leadership structure and, with sources suggesting that little at the club has changed, Bryant has sought to keep up the heat on the Russian.

“I’m worried that this is a classic Russian ruse to save himself from being sanctioned,” Bryant told the Guardian. “He could save himself a lot of bother by condemning Putin and his criminal invasion of Ukraine.”

On Thursday Bryant used parliamentary privilege to say that Abramovich was identified by the Home Office in 2019 as having links to the Russian state as well as to “corrupt activity and practices”. Telling the House of Commons that he was quoting from a Home Office document leaked to him, Bryant suggested the UK should seize Abramovich’s assets and bar him from owning Chelsea.

Bryant repeated his call for sanctions against Abramovich, but he added that the foreign office is worried about legal challenges from sanctioned individuals. “I think the government is terrified of lawyers,” he said. “The Foreign Office think sanctioned individuals will fight their sanctions in court.”

Bryant has maintained that Abramovich can distance himself from Putin by condemning the Russian president’s actions. Abramovich’s statement on Saturday night made no mention of the invasion of Ukraine. He said that the trustees “are in the best position to look after the interests of the club, players, staff, and fans.”

Chelsea released a short statement on their website on Sunday. It read: “The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating. Chelsea FC’s thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace.”

Abramovich’s move could attract interest in the club from potential bidders, although Chelsea maintain that the club is not for sale. It is unclear if a sale would be possible if Abramovich is sanctioned. It is possible that Chelsea would be unable to trade if sanctions are imposed on their owner, which could leave the club in a challenging financial position. The government could grant Chelsea an exemption to continue operating in that situation.

With sanctions yet to arrive, though, Abramovich has handed over control to close trusted figures. Chelsea’s charitable foundation is headed by Bruce Buck, the club’s chairman. The other trustees are Emma Hayes, the Chelsea Women’s manager; Piara Powar, the executive director of the anti-racism organisation Fare; Paul Ramos, Chelsea’s director of finance; the sports lawyer John Devine; Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics; and Hugh Robertson, the chairman of the British Olympic Association and a former MP and sports minister.

Football decisions, including transfers, contracts and the future of the manager, Thomas Tuchel, will be the responsibility of the director Marina Granovskaia and the technical and performance director, Petr Cech. They are already heavily influential in running the club and in practical terms little will change for now on a day-to-day basis. One legal expert told the Guardian that transfering stewardship was essentially meaningless in legal terms and ultimately amounted to little more than a PR exercise.

Another issue for Chelsea is that the foundation’s trustees are understood to feel that there are legal and regulatory issues, as well as ethical concerns, over the change of stewardship. No discussions were held before Abramovich’s announcement on Saturday and it is understood that the trustees are yet to agree to the request to take over the running of the club.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×