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L.A. Dodgers Owner Given Go Ahead to Buy Chelsea FC From Russian Billionaire Sanctioned Over Putin Ties

The Premier League club has been up for grabs since owner Roman Abramovich was made a Putin pariah by the U.K. government.

The U.K. government approved the sale of Chelsea FC to Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, after imposing sanctions on the club’s current billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Boehly and his consortium had a bid of $5.33 billion approved by the Premier League on Tuesday, with a necessary license allowing the sale to go ahead being issued by British authorities Wednesday. In a statement, a spokesperson for the U.K. government said: “Following the sanctioning of Roman Abramovich, the government has worked hard to ensure Chelsea has been able to continue to play football. But we have always been clear that the long-term future of the club could only be secured under a new owner.” The London soccer club has been in turmoil since sanctions were imposed on Abramovich over his links to Vladimir Putin. Along with other oligarchs in the Russian president’s circle, Abramovich has been subject to asset freezes and travel bans since March.