Clock ticking on Roman Abramovich after he puts Chelsea up for sale March 2, 2022 Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has put the Premier League club up for sale – but faces a race against time to find a buyer amid the continued threat of sanctions. Abramovich has hired US bank the Raine Group to advise on a deal and is believed to want £3bn for the reigning European champions, who [...]
Swiss billionaire receives offer to buy Chelsea as Roman Abramovich is pushed to sell Stamford Bridge club quickly March 2, 2022 A Swiss billionaire has been approached to buy Chelsea football club, according to various reports this morning. 86-year-old Hansjorg Wyss reportedly confirmed he is interested in purchasing the Stamford Bridge club from Roman Abramovich, but only in a consortium. Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich is understood to want to retain his ownership of Chelsea but that could [...]
Russian athletes set for Winter Paralympics ban decision March 2, 2022 Winter Paralympics organisers will decide today whether to ban Russian athletes just 48 hours before the Games are set to begin in Beijing. All Russian competitors have already arrived in China but the International Paralympic Committee is under pressure to stop them taking part in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic [...]
Premier League takes slow road to first NFT deal March 1, 2022 Driven by the extraordinary early success of the NBA’s Top Shot digital collectibles, NFTs were the talk of the sports industry when the Premier League dipped its toe into the market last year. It launched a tender process, inviting bidders to submit proposals for a range of officially licensed Premier League NFTs, which was due [...]
Everton backer Usmanov has assets frozen by EU over Putin links March 1, 2022 Everton backer Alisher Usmanov has had his assets frozen by the European Union on the grounds that he is close to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Usmanov’s company USM Holdings sponsors Everton’s training ground and has bought the naming rights to the Premier League club’s yet-to-be constructed stadium. The billionaire is also a close associate of [...]
Uefa terminates £100m Gazprom sponsorship as sport shuts out Russia February 28, 2022 European football’s governing body Uefa has confirmed the termination of its long-standing sponsorship deal with Russian state energy company Gazprom. The move came as Uefa banned Russian teams from its international and club competition following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. “Uefa has today decided to end its partnership with Gazprom across all competitions,” it said. [...]
Fifa, Uefa and IOC heed calls to ban Russia from international sport February 28, 2022 Russia faces an indefinite period of exile from international sport after major bodies including the International Olympic Committee, Fifa and Uefa bowed to calls to ban the country. The IOC said Russian teams and athletes should not be allowed to compete in international competitions, even under a neutral flag, as a result of the country’s [...]
PM Boris Johnson calls on Fifa to expel Russia from World Cup February 28, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has added his voice to calls for football chiefs Fifa to expel Russia from this year’s men’s World Cup. Fifa announced a range of sanctions against Russia on Sunday, including ordering them to play home games on neutral ground and under the banner of the Football Union of Russia. But the [...]
Poland and Sweden pile pressure on Fifa to expel Russia from World Cup February 28, 2022 Poland’s football association has criticised Fifa for allowing Russia to carry on competing at international level, calling the stance “totally unacceptable”. On Sunday Fifa issued a list of sanctions against Russia following the state’s invasion of Ukraine, including that they must compete as the Football Union of Russia on neutral territory and without an anthem [...]
Sport is guilty of shutting its eyes to Russia’s geopolitical ambitions February 27, 2022 Roman Abramovich’s near 20-year ownership of Premier League club Chelsea has been shrouded in mystery and therefore subject to constant scrutiny and speculation. Indeed, until the weekend, it remained unclear why he is there and what he is seeking to achieve. The oligarch has denied having direct links with Vladimir Putin but has been seen [...]