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Sanctioned

The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC
Brief Description
The sale of Chelsea Football Club in 2022 was one of the highest-profile and most controversial sports transactions of all time. In the shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, what unfolded after Roman Abramovich was forced to put his beloved club up for sale would change... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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The sale of Chelsea Football Club in 2022 was one of the most high-profile and controversial sports transactions of all time.Sanctioned chronicles ninety-five days that changed English football for ever.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The sale of Chelsea Football Club in 2022 was one of the highest-profile and most controversial sports transactions of all time. In the shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, what unfolded after Roman Abramovich was forced to put his beloved club up for sale would change English football forever.

Under the threat of bankruptcy and ruin, Chelsea pulled off a complex transaction in three tense and troubling months—a quarter of the time many analysts would normally set aside for such a deal. Sanctioned is the definitive account of this unique period.

Through unprecedented access to Abramovich himself and key figures from Chelsea’s new ownership, as well as further interviews with a star-studded footballing cast, Nick Purewal unfolds a wide-ranging tale of political sanctions, hushed negotiations and Cold War-style geopolitics, all told in vivid, propulsive prose against a backdrop of war on the edge of Europe.

From the club’s owners to its staff, players and supporters, via UK government intervention, dramatic peace talks and even a foul-play poisoning episode, Sanctioned chronicles ninety-five extraordinary days in English football.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781837360567

Publisher: Biteback Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 April 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Biteback Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Nick Purewal is a freelance reporter and writer with twenty years' experience in news and sports journalism. Nick reported on the entirety of the Chelsea sale in his role as Chelsea correspondent at the Press Association, breaking the world exclusive that Roman Abramovich was working to help the early peace process between Russia and Ukraine and later the shock news that key bidders the Ricketts family had pulled out of the race to buy the club. Beginning his career at the Grimsby Telegraph, Nick has also worked for the Newcastle Chronicle, the Gloucester Citizen and the Evening Standard and now freelances for a variety of national outlets in addition to ghostwriting books and working on other long-form projects.

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