Sanctioned

The sale of Chelsea Football Club in 2022 was one of the most highprofile and 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 as, under the threat of bankruptcy and ruin, Chelsea pulled off a complex transaction in a quarter of the time many analysts would normally set aside for such a deal. 'Sanctioned' is the definitive account of this extraordinary and unique period. Through unprecedented access to Abramovich himself and further interviews with a star-studded footballing cast, a wide-ranging tale unfolds of political sanctions, hushed negotiations, Cold War-style geopolitics and espionage, all told against a backdrop of war on the edge of Europe.