These are troubling times at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government, his assets frozen. The club’s future looks uncertain, with several sponsors presently reviewing the terms of their agreement.
Sporting their home kit with sponsor ‘3’ emblazoned across the front, Chelsea beat Norwich City on the road to consolidate their position on the table. Uncertainty preceded and followed the Blues’ win, after their owner Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government for his association with the Kremlin in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There is apprehension over what the future looks like for Chelsea with the club’s sale currently put on hold. Some of their key sponsors are reportedly reviewing the terms of their respective deals with the club. Among those named, Three has become the first to address the situation openly, confirming the suspension of their agreement with the Blues.
“In light of the government’s recently announced sanctions, we have requested Chelsea Football Club temporarily suspend our sponsorship of the club, including the removal of our brand from shirts and around the stadium until further notice,”
a spokesperson for the company said.
Hyundai, whose logo can be found embellished on the left sleeve of the Chelsea shirt, is also said to be reconsidering its deal with the club; the automobile company confirmed in a statement that it is examining the situation currently developing around Chelsea.
Worryingly, Nike, too, is considering walking away from the 15-year, 900 million pounds-worth deal it signed with Chelsea, as per The Sun. The American sports apparel brand took over from Adidas as the club’s official shirt supplier and merchandise partner in 2016 in one of the biggest shirt deals of the time. Without Nike’s support, Chelsea stand to lose a whopping 540 million pounds in sponsorship money.
Not all sponsors are jumping ship just yet. Chelsea’s training kit partner Trivago released a statement stating they will continue to support the club amid these challenging times and are looking forward to a smooth shift of ownership.
“We are looking forward to a transition of ownership as soon as possible, and want to support the club in this process. We will provide any update to our business relationship if and when appropriate,”
the statement read.
