The U.K. government said on Thursday it had imposed asset freezes on seven Russian businessmen including Roman Abramovich, Igor Sechin, Oleg Deripaska and Dmitri Lebedev after they were added to the country’s sanctions list.
“There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin’s vicious assault on Ukraine,” U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson said.
KEEP READING:
- Conor McGregor confirms intention to buy a football club amid Chelsea sale
- Roman Abramovich confirms plans to sell Chelsea FC
- Chelsea: Swiss billionaire claims he has been offered chance to buy club
Abramovich is the owner of Chelsea football club, Deripaska has stakes in En+ Group, Sechin is the chief executive of Rosneft and Lebedev is chairman of the board of directors of Bank Rossiya.
The U.K. government said it would enable Chelsea to continue playing matches after it imposed sanctions on Abramovich, halting his plan to sell the English Premier League side.
Abramovich had put the club up for sale, but Britain’s asset freeze and sanctions on him bar that process under the terms of the licence granted to the club.
Nadine Dorries, Britain’s minister for sport, said the government had issued a special licence to enable Chelsea to play fixtures, pay staff and enable ticket holders to attend matches, because it did not want to harm the reigning European and world football champions.
“I know this brings some uncertainty, but the government will work with the league and clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions hit those intended,” she said on Twitter. “Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities. We’re committed to protecting them.”
The government said the licence would be kept under review.
Sources have told ESPN that has received multiple bids for Chelsea but none have yet matched his £3 billion (3.94bn) valuation.
According to sources. a consortium including Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Lakers part-owner Todd Boehly alongside Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss have already tabled a bid in an effort to push ahead in the race.
Thursday’s action means Abramovich is banned from carrying out transactions with British individuals and businesses, and cannot enter or stay in Britain. His spokeswoman declined immediate comment.
Abramovich is the biggest shareholder in London-listed Russian steelmaker Evraz EVRE.L. It fell 16% after the sanctions were announced.
The entry on Britain’s sanctions list described Abramovich, who Britain said was worth £9 billion, as “a prominent Russian businessman and pro-Kremlin oligarch.”
It said he had enjoyed “a close relationship for decades” with the Russian president. It said this association with Putin had brought Abramovich a financial or material benefit from either the Russian president directly, or the Russian government.
“This includes tax breaks received by companies linked to Abramovich, buying and selling shares from and to the state at favourable rates, and the contracts received in the run up to the FIFA 2018 World Cup,” the website said.
