Football is the most important of the least important things in life, meaning that it holds great power and influence in society and politics.
Because of this, Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has impacted the game like few international incidents ever have. In an attempt to pressure Russian president Vladimir Putin into ending his war, UEFA has expelled Russian clubs from competing in its competitions, while a number of countries have refused to play Russia in World Cup qualification.
Like many countries, the UK government has started to apply pressure to Putin by sanctioning Russian banks, corporations and oligarchs. Had the assets of Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich been frozen, then the London club could have found themselves in serious financial trouble.
