Chelsea football club have made an official request to the FA asking that their upcoming FA Cup clash away at Middlesbrough is played behind closed doors.
This is due to the recent sanctions placed on the outgoing Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich enforced by the UK Government due to the 55-year-old's ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As part of the sanctions, Chelsea are unable to sell any extra tickets beyond those who currently boast a season ticket at Stamford Bridge, meaning all upcoming away games have been plunged into chaos.
The club have been placed under a special licence which permits them to operate but unable to generate new revenue. Thomas Tuchel's side are expected to make the trip to the Riverside on Saturday afternoon to take on Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup but will do so without their army of away fans cheering them on, as per a statement released from the club on Tuesday afternoon.
