Chelsea players ‘slum it’ as Abramovich sanctions hit

BEYOND REACH His yacht Solaris

CHELSEA’S stars have been told they will no longer be able to travel to away games by private jet – and may need to use budget airlines.

Stays in five-star hotels also face the axe after club officials were given a £20,000-a-match limit on away travel under UK sanctions on owner Roman Abramovich.

A source told the Sunday Mirror: “With the number of staff the club take, and the hotels they stay in, that will be nowhere near enough for the standard they’re used to.

“Staff are joking – but only half joking – that they’re going to have to start using easyJet.”

Abramovich, 55 – accused of ties to Vladimir Putin – was yesterday disqualified as a director of the club by the Premier League.

He has always denied links to Putin’s regime.

His UK assets, including Chelsea’s credit cards, were frozen on Friday. It is understood the five-time

Premier League champions have a £28million-a-month wage bill and are haemorrhaging cash after a ban on ticket or merchandise sales.

Sponsors Three, who temporarily suspended their £40million-a-year deal with the club, were joined last night by Hyundai, which sponsored the sleeves of shirts for £10million.

Hyundai said: “We’ve taken the decision to suspend our activities with the Club until further notice.”

Fellow sponsor Zapp also paused its activities with Chelsea – as pressure grew on Abramovich to give the £2billion club away.

He has two weeks to find a buyer but he will not be allowed to receive any money from the sale.

As he faced assets being seized, his £670million yacht Eclipse left the Caribbean last week.

And his £445million yacht Solaris, with a helipad and missile detectors, was rushed out of a Barcelona shipyard with repairs unfinished – just 48 hours before UK

sanctions hit.