Hyundai have become the latest Chelsea sponsor to suspend their deal with the club after Roman Abramovich was sanction by the UK government.
The motor company have been the club’s official global automotive partner since 2018, and are the club’s shirt sleeve sponsor.
However, Hyundai have now confirmed they were suspending ‘marketing and communication activities’ until further notice.
A statement said: “Hyundai has become one of the strongest partners in football over the years and the company supports the sport to be a force for good.
“Through our partnership with Chelsea FC, we are proud supporters of the players, the fans and grassroots football.
“However, in the current circumstances, we have taken the decision to suspend our marketing and communication activities with the Club until further notice.”
It remains to be seen how this impacts the shirts Chelsea wear, just a day after the club’s official shirt partner Three suspended their £40million-a-year deal.
A spokesperson for Three said: “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.”
On Saturday morning, it was announced that Abramovich has been disqualified by the Premier League as a director of Chelsea. That is unlikely to have significant impact though, with the Russian oligarch already confirming his intention to sell the club.
More concerning for Chelsea at the moment are the conditions the club are operating under as a result of the special license they have to continue playing.
There are real fears the restrictions on the amount they are allowed to spend on hosting or traveling to games will quickly eat up their cash reserves.
