Chelsea have been urged to remove the Three logo from the front of their shirts "as soon as possible" by their sponsors.
In a statement last week, a Three spokesperson requested to suspend the partnership between Chelsea and the mobile network following the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich. The statement read: "In light of the government's recently announced sanctions, we have requested Chelsea Football Club temporarily suspend our sponsorship of the club, including the removal of our brand from shirts and around the stadium until further notice.
"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 sanctions that is in place, it is the right thing to do."
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Now, a spokesperson from Three has reiterated the company's desire to suspend its partnership with Chelsea, while urging the club to remove its logo from their shirt "as soon as possible".
The statement read: "We understand from discussions with Chelsea FC that there are ongoing issues with removing the Three logo from the shirts, as a result of kit supply issues and licence restrictions. We have requested that Chelsea reverts with a solution to this issue as soon as possible."
The Athletic are reporting that Chelsea have removed Three's logo from all of its digital platforms. Licence restrictions have prevented the company's logo being removed from the club's physical assets, however.
Chelsea are still on the search for a new owner, with numerous parties interested in taking over the west London club following Abramovich being sanctioned last week. Nick Candy reportedly held a meeting with Marina Granovskaia and Bruce Buck over the weekend, but recent reports suggest that the British businessman could be at a disadvantage in the race.
According to the Evening Standard, prospective buyers of Chelsea with experience in running a sports team will be given preference in their bids to take over the west London club. This gives the likes of the Ricketts family, Todd Boehly and Robert "Woody" Johnson a big boost ahead of Friday's deadlines for offers.
