The UK government’s last-spring sanctions against former owner Roman Abramovich were blamed by Chelsea for its £121.3 million net loss.
The club’s new owners said in a statement that because the sanctions prevented them from “entering into new contractual arrangements,” they could suffer financial consequences for years to come.
The London-based club was unable to sell tickets or merchandise after Abramovich was punished in early March, so it was sold to a group headed by new chairman Todd Boehly in late May 2022.
Though Chelsea saw an overall turnover increase of £481.3m from £434.9m the previous year on account of increased matchday revenue following the return of supporters post-pandemic.
In spite of the sanctions, Chelsea still saw overall turnover increase to £481.3m from £434.9m the previous year on account of increased matchday revenue following the return of supporters post-pandemic.
Commercial revenue also grew to £177.1m with the club saying it “benefited from a net increase in sponsorship revenue from new contracts and existing partner renewals.”
They invested £118m in the playing squad during 2021/22 and made a profit on player trading – with the sales of Tammy Abraham to AS Roma, Marc Guehi to Crystal Palace, Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan, and Kurt Zouma to West Ham adding up to £123.2m.
A statement released by Chelsea alongside a publication of the accounts read;
Russia-Ukraine War: UK Govt Sanctions Roman Abramovich, Stops Chelsea Sale
“The club was required to operate within the limitations of a special licence issued by the UK government. These restrictions were in place until the completion of the club’s sale on 30 May 2022.
“During this period, the club was restricted in a number of areas including, but not limited to, its ability to sell matchday and season tickets, sell merchandise, accept event bookings, as well as sign contracts with players and commercial sponsorship partners, which collectively resulted in extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue.
“Furthermore, some of these limitations are also expected to have an impact on the financials in the following years due to the long-term impact from restrictions on entering into new contractual arrangements.”
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