Many players and stars are seeking to leave Chelsea for the club, following the recent sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom on its Russian billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, according to a special report by the newspaper “telegraph” British.
On Thursday morning, the British government imposed sanctions on the owner of Chelsea FC, leaving the English Premier League team facing the possibility of a financial crisis.
The Chelsea players are exploring their way out after the UK government froze Abramovich’s assets in Britain, claiming he had ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered his forces to invade neighboring Ukraine last month.
But Abramovich has long denied having links to the Putin regime.
Chelsea is now operating under a special license that severely limits its revenue streams, while the three shirt sponsors have suspended their partnership with the Blues.
Barclays has also frozen the club’s bank account and there is a possibility that the Blues face a financial crisis between now and the summer.
According to Telegraph sources, the players are exploring potential ways to leave the team, as they have instructed their agents to discuss their options with top-tier lawyers.
Information indicates that Chelsea spent 28 million pounds (about 37 million dollars) per month on salaries, while its cash reserves are only 17 million pounds.
It is believed that players will have to go unpaid for two months to have a “clear just cause” to terminate their relationship with the club, following a 15-day notice period.
And that could happen in theory, although it is unclear whether the club will be able to negotiate with the players to change some of the terms of their contracts.
A judge can also rule in favor of a player if he chooses to withdraw from the Blues, given the circumstances surrounding Abramovich’s unprecedented situation.