TheCable

The English Premier League (EPL) board has disqualified Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea, as the director of the club. 

The board announced the decision to disqualify Abramovich in a statement shared via its website on Saturday.

According to the statement, the decision follows the recent sanctions imposed on the billionaire businessman and his club by the UK government on Thursday.

The board, however, said the “decision does not impact on the club’s ability to train and play its fixtures.”

“Following the imposition of sanctions by the UK Government, the Premier League Board has disqualified Roman Abramovich as a Director of Chelsea Football Club,” the statement read.

“The board’s decision does not impact on the club’s ability to train and play its fixtures, as set out under the terms of a licence issued by the Government which expires on 31 May 2022.”

Abramovich has been in the public eye since Russia invaded Ukraine amid the ongoing face-off between the two countries.

He has also come under intense criticism over his link with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president.

The UK government had earlier frozen assets of the businessman and six other Russian oligarchs over their relationship with Putin.

Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, had said there will be “no safe havens for those who have supported Putin’s vicious assault on Ukraine”