The Premier League has not “worked through” the consequences of not selling Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the British government

The Premier League has “not worked through the consequences” of not selling Chelsea by May 31 but believes the club will end this season.

The comments were made at a session on digital, culture, media and sport on the role of Russian money in clubs.

Chelsea operate under a special license after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.

“This is an extraordinary, complex and unprecedented situation,” said Premier League Policy Chief Helen MacNamara.

“It’s pretty new to all of us.”

Russia’s Abramovich put the club up for sale, but that process was halted after he had his British assets – including Chelsea – frozen as part of the UK government’s response to his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

A special license granted by the government allows them to meet the team’s fixture schedule, pay staff and allow existing ticket holders to attend games, but a new license will need to be issued for the London club to be sold.

“At the moment the government has issued an operating license that allows the club to function until the end of the season on May 31,” said McNamara.

“It’s an extraordinary thing when someone’s assets are frozen but the Premier League can fund Chelsea the money we owe them so they can keep paying people this season.

“The club is already up for sale so fortunately the process is quite mature. We hope to close a sale before the May 31st deadline.

“We have not yet worked through what the consequences should be if the club is not sold by May 31 and what that means.”

She added, “What we’re trying to do right now is put one foot in front of the other and try to solve the problems as they come to our desks.”

At the start of the DCMS hearing, UK Sport Minister Nigel Huddleston said football “could do very well without Russian investment”.

“There are many other investors around the world that we can work with,” Huddleston said.

“I really can’t see any circumstances for quite a long period of time where we’re going to welcome that money back, I really can’t.

“I don’t think it would be morally acceptable, it may not be legally possible in many cases because we will still be imposing significant sanctions on many companies.

“I don’t think that sports fans around the world and especially in this country would not accept that either. You spoke very loudly and clearly.”

Following the invasion of Ukraine, Everton ceased all dealings with Russian Alisher Usmanov’s businesses, including his company USM sponsoring the training ground.

Russian football clubs and national teams have also been suspended from all competitions by world governing body Fifa and European counterpart Uefa, along with other sporting sanctions.

“In terms of the duration of these sanctions, as long as Russia continues to be a pariah on the world stage, these sanctions will last,” Huddleston said. “Nobody knows, but the person controlling this is Vladimir Putin.

“They will last for some time and including Russia’s inability to bid for major sporting events, it will be quite a while before we accept Russia back onto the world sports stage.”

“We are at a turning point in English football”

A recently Saudi Arabia-backed takeover of Newcastle United has also caused controversy.

There are concerns over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and Magpies manager Eddie Howe has been quizzed on the matter after his side’s Premier League defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

The issue of club ownership has come under scrutiny, among other things, as part of a fan-led review of English football commissioned by the government.

Former Sport Secretary Tracey Crouch, who chaired the fan-led review, proposed a number of measures including an independent regulator to “protect the future of our game”.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters also told the organization checks the test of its owners and directors as it “has been under close surveillance for the last 12 months”.

“We are at a turning point in English football,” said Huddleston. “The fan-led review is vital. We recognize that there are flaws in the structure and governance of English football.

“If everything had worked perfectly, we would never have needed the fan-led review.

“We recognize that further refinement and more robust testing is needed from owners and directors, and the integrity element of that is being driven.”

When asked about the issue, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham questioned whether football should have a higher standard than other industries in terms of investment.

MacNamara, who said the top flight didn’t want a statutory independent regulator, stressed that there was no test for owners and directors when Abramovich took over Chelsea and that it had been “adjusted” since it came into effect in 2005/06. .

She accepted some of the criticisms of the test and planned to present a revised version to clubs later this month and then at their AGM.

“We already have an independent panel chaired by a QC that oversees our sanctions regime and we are in the process of putting together an independent panel that will support the Premier League Board and review its decision-making on the Owners and Directors Test,” she continued .

“When you speak to Leicester City football fans or see the investments that Manchester City have made in communities and schools or the areas where they are located or Watford or the extraordinary investors that have invested, not just on the pitch , but also in the communities they work in… it’s important to advocate for owners who may not make as many headlines but support not only the game but the community they are in. There are a lot of them.”

Separate from the hearing, Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has written an open letter to the club’s potential new owners.

They are calling for “commitments on a number of fundamental issues”, including a “golden share for fans to protect important elements of club heritage” and “consultation with fans through the creation of a democratically elected shadow body”.