Roman Abramovich has been disqualified as a director of Chelsea, the Premier League has announced.
Amid government-imposed sanctions which were enforced on Thursday, Chelsea have been left to operate under widespread restrictions and a cloud of uncertainty.
Owner Abramovich has been prevented from selling the West London club on his terms, or being able to make a profit through the club's normal revenue streams.
On Saturday lunchtime, the Premier League also decided to act, releasing a statement to disqualify the Russian billionaire as a Chelsea director.
It read: "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 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."
Over the past 24 hours, it has also been revealed that several of the club's corporate credit cards have been frozen as banks weigh up the risks and uncertainty now associated with Chelsea.
Darren Plant
