Chelsea's first-team squad have pitched in to buy FA Cup final tickets for the club's academy players as the government-imposed sanctions continue to hurt the club.
The idea is understood to have been spearheaded by Mason Mount, one of several Cobham graduates in Thomas Tuchel's team, and will see players in the youth system get to see Saturday afternoon's game against Liverpool at Wembley with a parent.
In ordinary circumstances the club would organise these tickets but they are banned from spending until all ties are cut with Roman Abramovich, whom the government have alleged has close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The takeover by a consortium led by Todd Boehly is expected to be sealed in the next week with the Premier League completing its due diligence and the government preparing to amend the terms of its operating licence for a sale to proceed. But questions remain over what happens to the £2.5bn from the sale with charity campaigners raising doubts around transparency.
Laurie Styron, executive director at US-based watchdog CharityWatch, told the Financial Times : “It is eyebrow raising that this information is not being enthusiastically disclosed. Hopefully the priorities of the person chosen to lead this effort are closely aligned with public opinion and interest. Of course, we have no way to judge that if they refuse to tell us who this person is.”
Chelsea said last Friday that the money would be placed in a “frozen UK bank account with the intention to donate 100 per cent to charitable causes," subject to government approval. The club have previously said a foundation would be created from which funds will be distributed but the Charity Commission said it is yet to receive an application to register a charity.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have been clear since the start of the process that their primary concern is ensuring Abramovich, 55, does not stand to make any financial gain from a sale.
