Roman Abramovich confirms he will sell Chelsea FC with sanctions looming

Pressure was growing on the British government

LONDON (AP) — With the threat of financial sanctions looming, Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich confirmed Wednesday he is trying to sell the Premier League club he turned into an elite trophy-winning machine with his lavish investment.

The speed of Abramovich’s pending exit from Chelsea is striking as he was trying to instigate a plan this past weekend to relinquish some control in order to keep the club under his ownership, Qazet.az reports.

But as Russia’s war on Ukraine entered a seventh day, pressure was growing on the British government to include him among the wealthy Russians to be targeted in sanctions.