Danny Murphy says Chelsea’s off-field problems could turn into a ‘watershed moment' for the Premier League as a new wealthy owner looks set to join the Premier League party.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich was hit with several sanctions by the UK Government on Thursday due to his alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin who invaded Ukraine a fortnight ago to global condemnation.
As a result, Chelsea have been forced to make several concessions including being unable to sell match tickets, open their club shop, negotiate player contracts or buy and sell players.
But despite the enormity of the challenges currently facing Chelsea, former Liverpool player turned pundit Murphy says the Conservatives and UK Government wouldn’t leave the club to rot.
“Our government won’t want to finish off a large cultural and business institution,” Murphy wrote in his MailOnline column.
“And there is no upside for Roman Abramovich to be obstructive. Even if he has to write off a huge amount of money, he won’t want the alternative which is to be remembered as the man who killed off Chelsea.
“So my feeling is the club will get sold. There is going to be short-term pain for those fans who can’t buy tickets and the other repercussions in terms of merchandise and sponsorship but ultimately it’s in nobody’s interest for Chelsea to cease existing.
“On the positive side, it might even be a watershed moment for the Premier League which has welcomed plenty of wealthy owners in the past without caring too much about how they made their money.”
Murphy also pointed out that the club’s first-team stars are the ones most unlikely to feel the consequences of the sanctions due to their status as top tier players.
It’s the rest of the club’s staff and younger players, Murphy argues, that might be feeling the pinch at the moment due to the uncertainty surrounding the club and its future business plans.
Most of Thomas Tuchel’s squad found out about the sanctions being brought onto Abramovich at the same time as the general public, while even those among the club’s hierarchy were notified late on via an email from chairman Bruce Buck.
“At the moment, playing football will be a great release for them rather than a burden,” added Murphy.
“Whatever problems I had off the pitch, I found match-day a great escape, I was so engrossed in the competitive nature of the game, other issues were temporarily forgotten.
“It wasn’t a surprise to me that Chelsea’s players were able to go out and beat Norwich 3-1 only hours after hearing the seismic news of Abramovich’s assets being frozen.
“Others will feel greater stress. I’m thinking about workers in the club shop which has shut down. Or teenagers awaiting their first professional contracts. They may have to make other plans.”
