The Weekly Take, Issue 199: The Beginning of the End

First and foremost, to any Ukrainians who might be reading this right now, I wish only the best for you. I can barely imagine what you must be going through - to be at constant risk of losing your home, your family, your life simply because of one man's insatiable bloodlust and greed.

Now then, on to the post itself.

Earlier this week, the entire world was left reeling by Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. In response to this act of senseless violence, sanctions against Russia swiftly took effect from all corners of the world in virtually every sphere. This was true of football as well. The UEFA Champions League final was relocated from Saint Petersburg to Paris, while Manchester United and Schalke cut ties with Aeroflot and Gazprom respectively; both are companies with direct links to the Russian government.

Of course, this means that one club which deserves a closer examination is Chelsea, as they are owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire who has close ties with Putin. Regardless of what Abramovich chooses to do next, it seems inevitable that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought about the beginning of the end of the London club's time at the top table of European club football.

If Abramovich chooses to sell Chelsea as a result of the ever-increasing scrutiny upon him, Chelsea are likely to fall into disarray. Despite being endowed with far more wealth than the likes of Premier League rivals Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal, the Blues are only on par with the latter two and are firmly behind Liverpool. Without the enormous amounts of money which Abramovich provides, Chelsea will almost certainly spiral into oblivion and fall well behind their rivals with almost no hope of a return to the top level.

If Abramovich does not sell Chelsea, the money will dry up anyway. As has been mentioned, sponsors will be far more difficult to come by in the future owing to Abramovich's links to Putin. The longer Abramovich remains as Chelsea's owner, the more toxic the club's brand will become, making it even less likely for sponsors to flock to the club.

In either case, regardless of what Abramovich chooses to do with Chelsea, there will almost certainly be major negative repercussions regarding the club's finances and subsequently quality of play; this decline could very well be a terminal one.

The psychological impact on Chelsea's players must also be mentioned. Due to the club's indirect links to Putin, Chelsea can expect a hostile reception in almost every away match for the next several years. This might not necessarily be a problem if Chelsea's star player were someone who relishes playing the role of the villain. Think of the likes of Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Luis Suárez - there are many players who fit that description. However, Chelsea's ace is N'Golo Kanté. Kanté is someone who is the exact antithesis of the players described; though he is arguably the greatest defensive midfielder ever, Kanté does not seem to be the type who would be comfortable with the villain tag which would be inevitably handed to him.

Furthemore, many players might now be reluctant or even unwilling to join Chelsea during transfer windows. They might fear having their reputations sullied and thus becoming less marketable by joining a club with indirect ties to the Putin regime. Some players who might happen to be friends with one or more Ukrainian players could even outright refuse to even consider joining Chelsea lest they cause irreparable damage to their friendships with those players. Put it all together and one can see that the future looks very bleak indeed at Stamford Bridge.

In a sense, karma has come back to Chelsea. In a true instance of poetic justice, the club whose greatest period of success came on the back of ill-gotten gains now might meet its end as a top team because of a much more powerful person's quest for further ill-gotten gains.

Certainly, the football-related aspects are not even close to the most important facets of the invasion; after all, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has almost certainly kickstarted a second Cold War which may last for decades just as the first did. That being said, when this invasion is considered through a footballing lens, Chelsea are undoubtedly the club likely to lose the most as a result.