The sanctions on Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, explained

What’s happening with Chelsea?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have come here wondering why Chelsea FC is all over the news right now. Wondering what’s up with that? We’re here to help.

The global reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been far-reaching and swift. We’ve seen sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s economy. Western companies shuttered businesses in Russia. Sports governing bodies have banned Russia from competitions. And now, Russian oligarchs — the richest, most powerful people from Russia — have been targeted with sanctions due to their ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

That’s where the situation with Chelsea FC took a major turn on Thursday. Let’s break down what happened.