Roman Abramovich: Chelsea FC sale halted by UK Government

Video caption, WATCH: De-Graft reports on what's going on at Chelsea FC

The sale of Chelsea Football Club has been stopped after its owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.

A sanction is a financial penalty applied to a country, or even individual people, by another when they are seen to be doing something wrong.

This is part of the UK's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Abramovich is alleged to have a strong relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he has denied.

What does this mean for Chelsea?

Image source, PA/Stefan Rousseau

Image caption, Mason Mount and Romelu Lukaku (pictured left and right respectively) are two of Chelsea's biggest stars

The freezing of Abramovich's money and possessions, which include Chelsea, means the club cannot sell any more match tickets.

Chelsea will not be allowed to buy or sell players while the sanctions are in place, and the club's merchandise shop will also be shut.

But the government said it would issue a special licence that allows match fixtures to be played, staff to be paid and current ticket holders to attend matches.

The government sanctions and special licence also apply to Chelsea Women.

Image source, PA/John Walton

Image caption, Chelsea are one of the most successful sides in the women's game, winning 12 major trophies in their history

The government is open to thinking about adding to the special licence, which will allow the sale of the club.

But one important rule for that to happen would be that Abramovich gets no money from the sale.

He has previously said that any money made from the sale would be donated to victims of war.

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust has called for the government "to minimise the uncertainty" and to include fans "in any conversation regarding ongoing impacts".

Why have the UK government done this?

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Image caption, Roman Abramovich is thought to be worth more than 拢9 billion

Mr Abramovich is one of seven Russian billionaires to be hit with sanctions.

The list also includes Igor Sechin and Oleg Deripaska, both seen as close friends of Vladimir Putin.

Sanctions are imposed in an attempt to change a country's government's behaviour. In this case the sanctions are to punish Russia for it's invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "there can be no safe havens" for those who have supported the invasion.

"Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for the Ukrainian people," he said.