Chelsea provided financial respite to finish current season after Roman Abramovich sanctions
According to The Sun, Chelsea can now access the finances earned via television and prize money. This means that the Blues could earn a potential £35m in TV income, £39m from the Premier League if they manage to stay in third position, as well as an amount of up to £36m if they manage to retain the UEFA Champions League. This could provide the club with a possible revenue of up to £110m.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has also lifted the previous restriction of spending £500,000 on match expenses and increased it to £900,000 per game. The club has thus been given a bit of a breather after the UK government sanctioned Roman Abramovich due to his ties with Vladimir Putin in view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Despite this, the limit of £20,000 on away travel expenses remains the same but could be further increased if Chelsea manage to go through to the next round of the UCL. The West Londoners are still not able to sell any tickets in light of the current sanctions- which is perhaps the biggest financial hit for the day-to-day running of the club.
The DCMC Chairman also made comments (h/t The Sun) regarding the sanctions. It was assured that the club would be provided support in order to reduce any damage caused to the league or the fans in the process.
“We have said we would engage with Chelsea to understand what is needed to allow games to be played to minimise impact on the leagues and fans. Following extensive engagement with the club, we have made further operational amendments to the licence to do so.”
Finally some respite for the Chelsea faithful
The Blues have had an oscillating last couple of weeks, to say the least. Ever since Russian owner Roman Abramovich has been hit with sanctions, the club has had its financial resources diminish almost overnight. The West Londoners can now breathe a sigh of relief as they prepare for life after Abramovich.
The Russian oligarch took over in 2003 and turned the fortunes of the club, making it one of the most feared sides in England as well as in Europe. Chelsea currently sit third in the Premier League table behind Liverpool and Manchester City.
The Blues still have a lot to play for and look like they are in a comfortable position to qualify for the next round of the CL. Their on-field performances have also been top-notch despite all the nerves that have been surrounding Stamford Bridge of late, recording some impressive victories in the PL of late.
The sanctions that have been lifted could certainly help the club deal with the blow of Abramovich being placed on the sanctions list by the UK government. That being said, the club still has a lot to play for as they head into the business end of the season.
Whilst a top-four finish in the Prem can seem like the most realistic target, the London-based club could still lift the Champions League or the FA Cup in England. Thomas Tuchel would be looking to calm the nerves of the ship as it can be hard to focus on football in such times.
More Chelsea News
- Transfer News: Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger is in talks with Juventus over a free transfer in the summer
- Transfer News: Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku willing to take a pay cut to return to Inter Milan
- Paul Merson: Chelsea could sell Timo Werner in summer following UK Government’s decision to sanction Roman Abramovich
That being said, the club possesses a plethora of players who have been entirely professional to this point and the fans would be hoping that we can put all of this behind us as soon as possible.