Football Live Update: Petr Cech, Chelsea’s technical and performance director, said the club is living “day by day” in the aftermath of the UK government’s broad economic sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom sanctioned seven more oligarchs this week. Chelsea has been granted a special licence to continue operating, but there are concerns that they could soon run out of cash unless the terms of the arrangement are relaxed. The Blues are currently unable to sign players, renew contracts, sell match tickets or merchandising, and are restricted in the amount of money they may spend on travel to away games.
Cech was a goalkeeper for 11 years at Stamford Bridge under the Abramovich period, from 2004 to 2015, before returning to the club in 2019.
He is the highest-ranking Chelsea executive to speak publicly since the fines were published this week, and he could provide no assurances that the club will be able to continue until the conclusion of the season.
“We have to accept that we are taking things day by day because we don’t have control,” Cech told Sky Sports.
Chelsea indicated last week in a statement that they would seek more talks with the government about changing the licence “to allow the club to operate as normally as possible.”
Cech added: “The conversations are going on so that we can actually operate in the way that we can finish the season.
“I believe that for us to be able to, to carry on to finish the season would obviously help everybody involved in the Premier League.”
Chelsea is currently in third place in the Premier League table and is still in the Champions League and FA Cup knockout stages.
On the field, Thomas Tuchel’s side responded admirably to the pandemonium, winning 3-1 at Norwich on Thursday.
Tuchel added that he had not been offered any assurances about the future.
“I think anybody who gives an assurance should not be trusted because no one knows – this is my opinion – what’s coming,” said the German coach.
He stressed, though, that he and his teammates are still in a “privileged” position while condemning Russia’s activities in Ukraine once more.
“It is hard to focus only on football,” he added.
“As bad and as horrible as the situation is in Ukraine and the situation that Russia started this war, which is incredible and unacceptable and horrible, there are so many things which are much more important than football.”
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