After the victory over Norwich, Chelsea boss Tuchel said he could continue to play as long as there were enough shirts and a fuel-filled bus. However, the situation at Chelsea continued to deteriorate on Friday, with bank accounts and credit cards frozen, buses unable to even refuel, and the two major sponsors suspended contracts.
Sky Sports revealed on Friday that after Abu was sanctioned by the British government, in order to avoid risks, Chelsea Club's bank accounts and credit cards were temporarily frozen by banks.
At present, Chelsea staff are no longer able to use the company's credit card, so they cannot refuel the bus, and the club's operations are almost paralyzed. However, Chelsea later revealed that the bank account is still available for now.
In addition, Chelsea shirt sponsor, British Telecom and internet service provider Three, has suspended its sponsorship contract with Chelsea while asking Chelsea to remove the logo on the shirt. Another sponsor, Zappt, who suspended its sponsorship contract with the club, said: "We are confident that the Uk government and Chelsea can find a solution that matches the fans as soon as possible." ”
For Chelsea, the real problem is that they can't sell tickets to the game or make a profit by selling merchandise, which will leave the club facing a huge cash gap. At present, Chelsea's cash reserves are only £16 million, and the monthly salary of players alone is £28 million, which means that within 17 days, the Blues will run out of their current cash.
On Thursday and Friday, Chelsea, in constant consultation with the British government, made an application to amend the terms of the licence, hoping to allow clubs to sell tickets for funding while raising spending limits.
In consultation with the British government, Chelsea also proposed to amend the terms of the sale of the club. On Friday, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said, "We will obviously work with the club, the Premier League, to consider any operational changes that are necessary." ”
Insiders revealed, "We don't want fans to worry too much about the survival of the club, and everyone agrees that Chelsea is a cultural heritage." This was done to put pressure on Abu and to ensure that the acquisition was completed quickly. ”
The Sun revealed that since the license issued by the British government for Chelsea expires on May 31, if Abu still does not agree to sell Chelsea before the expiration date, then Chelsea club will go bankrupt, which means that the Blues have only 81 days left to save themselves.