BLUES FAIR PLAY PERIL

CHELSEA owner Roman Abramovich’s pledge to write off the £1.5billion he is owed by the club could contravene Financial Fair Play rules.

Leading football lawyer and academic

Paolo Torchetti said the move might even be seen as an attempt to sidestep FFP.

Torchetti, who is based in Valencia, warned: “If I were UEFA, I would be highly concerned if Roman Abramovich releases Chelsea from the loan prior to selling the club.

“The fundamental principle of FFP is the ‘break-even’ rule where clubs cannot spend more than they earn.

“Another is that transactions must take place and be valued on the same terms as if a non-related party would do.

“It is unlikely that an unrelated party to Chelsea would forgive such a large debt.

“If the debt is extinguished this could be viewed as a way around the ‘break-even’ rule.” Abramovich has promised to donate the ‘net proceeds’ of the sale to a foundation benefiting the ‘victims of the war in Ukraine’.

But Torchetti insisted: “An owner cannot just forward funds to their clubs to make up the difference of the ‘break-even’.”