- Chelsea F.C. can sell tickets again.
- The club had previously been banned from doing so as part of sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich.
- Money from any ticket sales could go to a charity supporting victims of the war in Ukraine.
Chelsea F.C. has been permitted to sell tickets again after the UK government amended the club’s operating license for the first time since imposing strict restrictions on its operations following the sanctioning of Russian owner Roman Abramovich.
The club has been unable to sell tickets since Abramovich was sanctioned by the government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Under the changed license, supporters will now be able to purchase tickets to away matches, cup matches, and fixtures involving the women’s team, while visiting fans will also be able to attend matches at Stamford Bridge.
However, the club still cannot sell tickets to Premier League home games, which can only be attended by current season-ticket holders.
Money from home ticket sales will not go to the club or Abramovich, but will instead be collected by the Premier League or UEFA — depending on the competition — and distributed to a permitted third party, which could be a charity supporting victims of the war in Ukraine, BBC Sport reported.
Revenue from away fixtures tickets will go to the host team.
The move means Chelsea will be able to sell tickets for the team’s upcoming Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on April 6, and its FA Cup semifinal clash against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on April 16.
“We will update supporters on the tickets sales process the Club will follow in due course,” said Chelsea.
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Abramovich, a billionaire Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin, put Chelsea up for sale following the invasion of Ukraine.
His attempt to sell the club was halted, however, when his assets were frozen.
American investment firm Raine Group has since been tasked with selling Chelsea, but must wait for the government to provide a license to allow the sale to go through.
A number of groups have revealed that they have made offers for the club, including the the Ricketts family, who own Major League Baseball team the Chicago Cubs, and a group led by British property magnate Nick Candy.