The British government said on Monday that it was “inadequate” to support the Chelsea singing the name of the club’s owner, Russian millionaire Roman Abramovich, who is subject to sanctions because of his alleged proximity to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On 5 March, Chelsea fans chanted Abramovich’s name during the minute of applause in solidarity with Ukraine before the game against Burnley, for the 28th round of the English Premier League.
‘Blues’ coach Thomas Tuchel disapproved of the attitude of the fans at the end of the match.
“It was not the time to do that”, criticized the coach. “If we want to show our solidarity, we show our solidarity and we do it all together,” he added.
Fans have repeated this conduct in every Chelsea game since, against Norwich and Newcastle.
“We are fully aware of the scale of feelings around a popular club, but that is no excuse for a completely inappropriate attitude at the moment,” said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“I think people can express their passion and support without resorting to that sort of thing,” Johnson added.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and turned the club into one of the biggest in Europe, with 19 titles under his belt after investing hundreds of millions of pounds, making him a hugely popular figure among fans.
The sanctions against the Russian millionaire, such as the freezing of his assets, affected the club with the loss of sponsors and a ban on ticket sales and player trading.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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