Premier League disqualifies Abramovich as Chelsea Football Club director

MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) - The Premier League, the top level of the English football league system, has announced that it has disqualified Russian businessman Roman Abramovich as a director of the Chelsea Football Club.

"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 Premier League said in a statement on its website.

"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," it said.

The UK authorities imposed sanctions on Abramovich on March 10. A statement published on the UK government's website, said that "a full asset freeze and a travel ban" had been applied to Abramovich. The UK authorities also published a special license, which allows the Chelsea Football Club to continue operating in a limited format. The club can play further matches and engage in other football-related activities.

Abramovich said on February 26 that he was handing over the affairs of the club to trustees of Chelsea's charitable Foundation.

It became known on March 2 that the businessman plans to sell the football club and to transfer all net proceeds from the sale to be donated to victims of the conflict in Ukraine.

Abramovich had invested millions of dollars to the Chelsea Football Club since buying it in 2003. Since then, the club has won at least once each official tournament in which it participated. Chelsea won the Champions League last season and the Club World Cup in February of this year.