Chelsea FC football news live updates: Roman Abramovich set for further EU sanctions as Thomas Tuchel long-term future in doubt

The US merchant bank, Raine Group, has extended the deadline for official bids to buy Chelsea Football Club to Friday this week.

Potential buyers have been informed that a sale of the club could go through rapidly despite Chelsea still not having permission to sell up as part of the special licence they have been granted to continue football operations.

Due to Roman Abramovich being sanctioned by the UK Government and having his assets frozen, the club is up for sale and it is understood the Government are open to allowing a sale as long as no funds go to the Russian billionaire.

UK property tycoon Nick Candy has confirmed he is trying to buy the club and plans to appoint a fan representative to the board if successful.

The US-Swiss consortium of Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss have already put forward a bid, while a Saudi Media-led consortium are also interested.

The Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs, and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson have also noted their interest in Chelsea.

Abramovich’s initial valuation of £4 billion is reportedly too high with a figure of £2.5bn more likely – Candy is ready to bid as high as this.

Raine Group extended the deadline by three days after the process was halted due to Abramovich’s sanctions.

According to sources at the EU, diplomats asked the Commission – which drafted the economic sanctions – for assurances that the new economic measures on Russian oligarchs cannot be successfully challenged in EU courts.

No concerns were raised about the new listings of oligarchs and businessmen – which are in a separate legal document drafted by the EU external action service – and one diplomat was confident that Abramovich’s sanctioning “will go through”.

Further Russian oligarchs will be added to the EU list after dozens have already been sanctioned.

The new sanctions will hit people active in the Russian steel industry and others who provide financial services, military products and technology to the Russian state.

Abramovich holds a Portuguese passport, which means that Portugal could in principle refrain from imposing on him the asset freeze and travel ban decided at EU level which is aleady in place on Chelsea’s owner in Britain.

The European Union has decided to add Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich to the EU list of Russian billionaires sanctioned after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The informal greenlight to Abramovich’s listing came in a meeting on Sunday, according to one source, with EU envoys set to reconvene on Monday to adopt the measure and a further set of economic sanctions against Russia.

Sanctions will be effective only after publication on the EU’s official journal, which usually happens within hours or the day following formal approval.

The West has sanctioned Russian billionaires, frozen state assets and cut off much of the Russian corporate sector from the global economy in an attempt to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to change course on Ukraine.

Any potential sanctions on Abramovich would come during the fourth set of EU sanctions against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine on the 24th Feburary.

The EU is ready to ban the export of luxury goods to Russia, including expensive cars.

The UK government brought sanctions against the owner on Thursday over his alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Despite Abramovich’s assets being frozen, Chelsea were handed a new licence to continue “football-related activities” and are in negotiations with the government to amend some aspects of it.

A statement from the league on Saturday read: “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.”

Chelsea’s sale is expected to progress with government oversight as bidders have been told to press on with submissions.

Owner Roman Abramovich’s government sanctions had stalled proceedings, with the Russian-Israeli billionaire’s UK assets frozen.

Chelsea have been handed a new licence to continue operations however, and the Blues are still locked in negotiations with the government to ease restrictions.

But New York merchant the Raine Group has assessed the terms of the licence and agreed a route forward for the sale with the government.

Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on 2 March, pledging to write off the Blues’ £1.5billion debt and to divert all proceeds to a new foundation to benefit victims of the war in Ukraine.

Emma Hayes spoke about her team’s stoppage time victory over Aston Villa at the weekend which keeps Chelsea in touching dsitance of Arsenal in the race for the WSL title.

The Blues trail their London rivals by five points but have two games in hand and Hayes was overjoyed after the team picked up a vital three points right at the end of the game.

“I even went down the touchline, which I never do!” said the Chelsea boss, “After the week we’ve just had, you compete for championships when you win games like that. Games when you are not at your best, I didn’t think we looked the freshest, you have a hat-full of chances but you don’t convert. The opposition played really, really well too, you’re down to your bare bones and we’re competing for a championship because we’re able to win a game like that.

“Amazing spirit and camaraderie from the players to do that, they gutted that out. I definitely felt a release in my own emotions, I realised that when I nearly lifted Sam Kerr up! I’m always present to perform, but I’m human and this has been hard and we need to count on each other and we did.

“I’ve always said it, I wouldn’t want to be in any other dressing room because we managed to come through really tough times together and all the values and cultures that have been established here over time, they are really kicking into place in the time we need it most and for that reason I’m really proud of everyone.”

Hayes also spoke about the events happening off the pitch which continue to surround the club and dominate the headlines.

“I know our place within our club, I know our importance and I don’t want any of us to be punished or vilified.” she said. “You know at the end of the day, Chelsea Football Club is important to the community and I think as quickly as possible we can resume a sale, so that we can get on with the business of talking about teams and not everything in and around that.

“I’m not worried about us, I think we are a valuable asset to the football club and I know that internally and I don’t expect that to change.”

The mayor of London has said it is important to ensure Chelsea FC is not sold off as part of a “fire sale”.

The west London club’s owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned over his links to Vladimir Putin as the UK targeted more oligarchs after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Government to remember there are millions of Chelsea fans who are “completely innocent”.

He told the PA news agency: “I think Chelsea are a great Premier League club, they’re the champions of Europe, the world club champions.

“They were a great club before the current owner and they’ll be a great club after the current owner.

“It’s important to distinguish Chelsea and what’s happening in Ukraine because the reality is for too long Russian oligarchs close to Putin had been using homes in London, businesses in London, to launder money.

“I think it’s right that the Government is now taking sanctions and seizing assets of those Russian oligarchs close to Putin.”

Cesar Azpilicueta could be staying at Chelsea for another year after rumours claimed he would be moving to Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer.

Azpilicueta’s current contract with the Blues ends in June and Barcelona are said to have already put a contract offer on the table for the 33-year-old.

According to Marca the Chelsea captain is Barcelona’s number one defensive target this summer with Azpilicueta keen for a move back to Spain.

However, the Spanish publication claims that Chelsea have already activated a clause in the player’s contract triggering an automatic one-year extension that kicked in after he reached 30 appearances for this season.

Azpilicueta, who missed the win over Newcastle with illness, has now made 33 appearances this season for the Blues. Barca’s desire to land the player remains, but they are not willing to pay a fee with Azpilicueta’s new one-year deal kicking in.

“Azpilicueta wants an amicable solution and he is working on it with the club,” says the report from Marca.

Roman Abramovich’s sanctioning means the club are now working under a strict Government license meaning new player sales and new contract negotiations will not be permitted.

However, since Azpilicueta triggered the clause before those sanctions last week, it is understood the player’s one-year deal will be honoured.

As Chelsea cannot add any new players to their squad at the current time they will likely be unwilling to see anyone leave the club in the foreseeable future.

Thomas Tuchel would be open to Chelsea wearing “a message for peace” on their shirts after sponsor Three suspended their deal with the club following the sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich.

Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich’s UK assets – including Chelsea – are now frozen, with the west London club handed a special licence to continue with “football-related activities”.

“You can always wear a message for peace and it can never be the wrong message,” he said. “Of course maybe the worry is to find enough shirts that we can play with the sanctions! But as long as we have enough shirts and as long as the bus is full of fuel we will arrive and we will be competitive.

“This is what everybody can be sure of and what we demand of ourselves. When it’s a big storm you dig in and you are all together.”

Chelsea were left facing further uncertainty after the club’s credit cards were temporarily suspended in the wake of owner Roman Abramovich being sanctioned by the UK Government.

The club have been granted a license to continue with “football-related activities” but Chelsea are unable to operate as a business and have been banned from selling match tickets or merchandise.

Chelsea have been in discussions with the government in the hope of amending the license and easing the restrictions but were hit on Friday when banks suspended the club’s accounts.

The Independent has been told that it came as companies accessed the operating license handed to the club, but it is understood that Chelsea are hopeful the credit cards will soon be up and running as normal.

Abramovich was sanctioned on Thursday after the government claimed to have proven the 55-year-old’s links to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich has always denied links to Russia’s current regime, but Putin’s war in Ukraine has led to a major geopolitical shift.