LONDON: With Chelsea plunged into turmoil after the sanctions on their Russian owner Roman Abramovich, the sombre mood of fans ahead of Sunday’s game against Newcastle reflected the mounting crisis at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s first home game since Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government served as a reminder of a golden era that may soon be a distant memory for Blues supporters.
Bankrolled by Abramovich’s billions, the Premier League club have won 19 major trophies since the Russian took over in 2003.
A banner often hung from the Matthew Harding Stand at one end of Stamford Bridge hails the ‘Roman Empire’.
But Chelsea’s reign as reigning European and Club World champions could be crumbling due to the fall-out from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The government have stopped Abramovich profiting from Chelsea and in the process banned the club from signing players and renewing contracts, while severely limiting their revenue streams.
Chelsea’s shirt sponsor Three suspended their £40 million deal on Thursday and Hyundai became the second sponsor to pause their relationship on Saturday.
Abramovich was disqualified as a club director by the Premier League this weekend as the mayhem engulfing the club showed no signs of abating.
Haemorrhaging money with a monthly wage bill estimated at £28 million, there are fears over Chelsea’s ability to survive the potential financial meltdown if a new buyer is not found soon.
Inevitably, emotions are running high among Chelsea fans who have poured so much of their time and money into the club.
Those feelings were made clear by a graffiti message reading “Leave our club alone” in red paint on a gate outside the Bridge.
Signs of Chelsea’s predicament were easy to spot.
The club’s megastore was closed with a message apologising for the “inconvenience” taped to a window, while match programmes were not for sale.
With Chelsea barred from selling match tickets since the sanctions, a board by the main entrance announced “no tickets available” for the team’s next home match against Brentford.