UK govt sanctions Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich

The United Kingdom government has imposed sanctions on the Chelsea Football Club's owner Roman Abramovich.

The sanction means that the Chelsea owner is banned from transactions with UK individuals and businesses.

"There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin's invasion. Today's sanctions are the latest step in our ruthless pursuit of those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of Ukraine, " Boris Johnson on Twitter said.

The UK government have granted Chelsea a special license to allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches. It is unclear if the license covers just Chelsea's first team or all teams, including the women's and junior sides.

Nadine Dorries, the minister for Sport and Culture, tweeted to say: "I know this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league & clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions-hit those intended. Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities. We're committed to protecting them."

Chelsea are in dialogue with the UK government discussing what to do next.

( With inputs from ANI )

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