Chelsea's request to play their FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough behind closed doors has been widely mocked by fans on social media - with some left stunned by the 'audacity' of the club.
The Blues have been left in a crisis after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the Government in the wake of Ukraine's invasion by Russia - with the club unable to sign players, agree new contracts, sell tickets or merchandise and their spending on away travel limited.
Chelsea have been in talks with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation over amending their licence to allow new tickets to be sold for Saturday's FA Cup trip to Middlesbrough, but the club have revealed those discussions were unsuccessful.