Chelsea's main shirt sponsor Three has suspended it's dealing with the club with immediate effect – leaving the Blues with the possibility of seeing out the season with a plain shirt.
It is the latest piece of bad news for the west London club, who were sanctioned by the UK government on Thursday morning, leaving them unable to sign players, renew contracts, or sell match tickets or merchandise as a result of owner Roman Abramovich's ties with Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia. Abramovich is also unable to sell the club – unless he doesn't profit from the sale at all.
Now, in another financial hit, Three has announced that it is suspending its sponsorship of the club, thought to be worth around £40m a year.
In a statement, the telecommunications company said: "In light of the government’s recently announced sanctions, we have requested Chelsea Football Club temporarily suspend our partnership of the club, including the removal of our brand from shirts and around the stadium until further notice.
"We recognise that this decision will impact the many Chelsea fans who follow their team passionately. However, we feel that given the circumstances, and the Government sanction that is in place, it is the right thing to do.
"As a mobile network, the best way we can support the people of Ukraine is to ensure refugees arriving in the UK from the conflict and customers currently in Ukraine can stay connected to the people who matter to them. Therefore, we are offering connectivity packages to all Ukrainians arriving in the UK, and those in Ukraine."
It may not stop there. Shirt sponsors Hyundai, who are thought to pay around £10m a year to appear on the Chelsea shirt, are also reviewing their deal – and may be pressured into a decision by the Three statement.
A Hyundai spokesperson said: "Hyundai has become one of the strongest partners in football over the years & the company supports the sport to be a force for good.
"We are currently assessing the situation with Chelsea FC."
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