The chants grew louder as the Newcastle fans closed in on Stamford Bridge through the throngs of the subdued Chelsea support. (More Football News)
On the eve of Chelsea vs Newcastle 바카라 dubbed a 'sportswashing derby' 바카라 Bin Salman바카라s regime carried out the largest known mass execution.
The chants grew louder as the Newcastle fans closed in on Stamford Bridge through the throngs of the subdued Chelsea support. (More Football News)
바카라Chelsea get bankrupt everywhere they go,바카라 they gloated.
The chance to seize on the misfortune of a rival was an open goal the supporters from northeast England were not going to miss.
But beyond the taunting songs, there were few obvious signs around Chelsea바카라s stadium to signal the unprecedented situation the Premier League club now finds itself in 바카라 only permitted to operate under a special British government license after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Freezing the assets of Abramovich restricts Chelsea바카라s ability to generate income. So the club shops remained closed as they have been since Thursday when the sanctions against Abramovich were announced. No matchday magazines were allowed to be sold. The only fans allowed into Sunday바카라s 1-0 victory for third-place Chelsea over Newcastle had to have bought tickets before Thursday.
The reigning European and world champions are sending out the message they are running out of cash 바카라 becoming 바카라skint바카라 in a British colloquialism 바카라 to pressure the government to ease restrictions before the fast-tracked sale can be completed to end Abramovich바카라s 19 years of trophy-filled ownership.
바카라Chelsea바카라s skint,바카라 came another song from the Magpies fans, 바카라and the Mags are rich.바카라
Newcastle certainly has the richest owners in football. But it is an ownership that denies Newcastle fans the ability to assume a moral high ground. And yet during a match where the chants were most memorable, they still bellowed: 바카라Abramovich is a war offender바카라.
Abramovich has not commented since being targeted in a crackdown on the assets of Russian oligarchs in Britain since Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine that the Premier League has condemned.
And yet, the same league officials in October approved the sale of Newcastle to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund led by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman despite protests by human rights activists and insisting the kingdom didn바카라t control the club.
바카라I don바카라t want to point the finger because comparing yourself or blaming the others,바카라 Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said, 바카라doesn바카라t make the situation for us a different situation.
바카라We condemn war and the action from Russia towards Ukraine. There is no doubt that we are facing the consequences actually at the moment.바카라
On the eve of this game against Chelsea 바카라 dubbed a 바카라sportswashing derby바카라 바카라 Bin Salman바카라s regime carried out the largest known mass execution in the autocratic kingdom바카라s modern history by killing 81 people convicted of crimes ranging from murder to membership in a militant group.
바카라In an era of global sportswashing and with the horror of what is currently unfolding in Ukraine,바카라 said Amnesty International UK CEO Sacha Deshmukh, 바카라the Premier League has a clear moral responsibility to change its ownership rules to put a stop to topflight English football being used as a PR vehicle for those complicit in serious human rights violations.바카라
The Newcastle fans were unmoved and still waving Saudi flags in the Shed End in west London.
바카라I바카라ll stick to football,바카라 Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said when asked about the country bankrolling his club launching the mass executions.
It바카라s a stance that overlooks how clubs in world football can be used as political tools.
바카라I바카라ve made my position clear,바카라 Howe responded curtly.
It바카라s an uneasy situation even some Newcastle fans admit being conflicted by, despite the more than $100 million of spending in the first transfer window under Saudi ownership helping the team to move clear of the relegation zone. While Newcastle shows solidarity toward the Ukrainian victims of Russia바카라s aggression, the Saudis are involved in a war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen that has spawned the world바카라s worst humanitarian disaster.
For now, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cordial relations with Saudi Arabia and the country바카라s ambassador to Riyadh celebrated the Newcastle purchase. But the moves against Abramovich바카라s British businesses serve as a cautionary warning for Newcastle fans celebrating their newfound investment and how geopolitical tensions can impact a Premier League team.
바카라Boris Johnson, he바카라s coming for you,바카라 were the heckles from Chelsea to the visitors from Newcastle.
Outside, Newcastle fans listened in as Angie Conlon, a Chelsea fan who traveled down from the northeast city, reflected on how authorities have a wider responsibility to assess the source of owner funding in light of Abramovich바카라s downfall.
바카라This could easily happen because the Saudis are doing horrible things to people in Yemen,바카라 said Conlon, who has been coming to Chelsea games since the 1970s. 바카라It just goes to show if we바카라ve got a (new) owner 바카라 we바카라re bound to have billionaire owners, otherwise you can바카라t afford this club these days 바카라 anything can happen that could change that in a week. Really, we won바카라t get to the end of the season if we don바카라t get this club sold.바카라
Perhaps it was the realization of the severity of the situation now facing Chelsea that ensured there was no repeat on Sunday of the Abramovich chants that disrupted the previous weekend바카라s backing for Ukraine during a game at Burnley.
Still hanging at Stamford Bridge, though, was 바카라The Roman Empire바카라 banner on a Russian flag dedicated to the owner who has funded 21 trophies since 2003 for a club that had won only 11 in its previous 98 years.
바카라You바카라re never going to change any Chelsea fan바카라s opinions on him,바카라 64-year-old fan Kim Clark said. 바카라Never for what he바카라s done for this club.바카라
Just as he has been for three decades, Clark was manning an unofficial stall close to the Chelsea stadium. There were a couple of books about Abramovich on sale and old matchday magazines.
Fans were unable to buy them for Sunday바카라s game on government orders. The only editions of a limited print run were provided to those who had pre-paid, club guests or media and they found the only reference to Abramovich was a statement announcing the sanctions and the government license the cub was operating under.
바카라We know there바카라s going to be sanctions, we understand that something has to be done,바카라 Clark said. 바카라It바카라s getting petty... but it바카라s all the knock-on effects that are happening now. It바카라s affecting the fans.바카라