Chelsea's shirt sponsor Three SUSPENDS their £40M deal after the UK government sanctioned Roman Abramovich - and analysts warn Nike, Hyundai and Hublot could ALSO ditch the Blues to avoid 'guilt by association'

Chelsea's shirt sponsor, the telecom brand, Three, has suspended its £40million deal with the Blues after the UK Government sanctioned the club's owner, Roman Abramovich.

Abramovich will be subject to an asset freeze and travel ban, under the terms of the sanction, which was announced by Prime minister Boris Johnson, this morning.

The news has immediately thrown Chelsea's future – including the club's extensive sponsorship arrangements - into doubt.

Last year, Chelsea made £154M from commercial deals despite the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, before Covid struck, the club earned £200M in sponsorship.