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      Chelsea announce worrying net losses for 2021-22 after ‘extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue’

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      CHELSEA have revealed “extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue” as a result of the sanctions imposed on them last year. The UK government placed former Blues owner Roman Abramovich under sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his links to the country’s president Vladimir Putin.
      Chelsea have announced ‘extraordinary’ losses following sanctions last yearCredit: Getty
      Roman Abramovich has sanctions placed against him last yearCredit: PA
      And the full impact of the sanctions has now been revealed.
      The club announced net losses of £121.3million for the financial year of 2021-22.
      Chelsea were handed a “special license” to continue operating throughout the sanctions.
      However, they were restricted in a number of aspects, including receiving revenue and negotiating contract renewals for players, staff and sponsors.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      Despite this, the club say they are still set to comply with Premier League and Uefa financial regulations.
      The massive losses come despite turnover increasing to £481.3m from £434.9m the year prior, which was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
      An increase in operating costs including matchday and non-matchday expenses has been attributed as among the causes for the losses.
      A one-off payment of £26.6m to former boss Antonio Conte and his staff was also included in the figures.
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      Worryingly for the club, the sanctions will continue to be felt in the coming years, with Chelsea saying: “Some of these limitations are also expected to have an impact on the financials in the following years due to the long-term impact from restrictions on entering into new contractual arrangements.”
      The 21/22 results show the club made £123m from incoming transfer fees – including Tammy Abraham, Marc Guehi, Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma.
      During the same period, Chelsea spent £118m on incoming players.
      The latest figures do NOT include the club’s recent £600m transfer splurge under new owner Todd Boehly. More

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      England and Ukraine make powerful call for peace in front of cheering Wembley as allies go head-to-head in Euros clash

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      ENGLAND players and fans have united to honour Ukraine with a poignant tribute ahead of tonight’s Euro qualifier.Players from both teams called for peace before the match in a powerful show of solidarity, holding a Ukrainian flag with the word “peace” written on it.
      England and Ukraine players called for peace before the match in a powerful show of solidarity
      An Ukrainian fan makes a plea to PM Rishi SunakCredit: AP
      Ukraine players warming up ahead of the gameCredit: PA
      Ukraine supporters cheer and wave their flagsCredit: AFP
      Harry Kane led his Three Lions’ teammates in sending a message of peace following Russia’s invasion of the country.
      Wembley erupted in a sea of blue and yellow as the Ukrainian flag was beamed across the stadium.
      The Ukrainian team draped themselves in flags as they took to the pitch.
      Fans held Ukrainian flags aloft as an emotional rendition of the national anthem echoed through the stadium.
      Read more on the Ukraine war
      Former Blues star and ex-Ukraine boss Andriy Shevchenko shared his moving thoughts on the Ukrainian people before the match kicked off: “In very difficult moments, we have united all together.”
      England’s record goal scorer and team captain Harry Kane said on Channel 4: “It’s been a magical few days after the amazing result the other night. We’ve had a few days to settle down and recover well to look forward to an important game.”
      He emphasised the significance of the match against Ukraine tonight: “It will be a special night. I will have my wife and kids with me walking out to have a picture. We’ve got an important game so I’m trying not to think about it too much.”
      Tribute was also paid to Jack Leslie, who was dropped from the 1925 England squad because of his skin colour.
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      His family was presented with the posthumous honorary England cap.
      England boss Gareth Southgate told Kelly Somers on Channel 4: “We’re clearly hugely respectful of everything that’s happening [in Ukraine]. There’s a lot of tributes, sympathies and support for Ukraine.
      “It is a game of football and there are of course a lot of important things going on in the world but our focus has to remain on this. ”
      More than 1,000 refugees and their host families have been invited to tonight’s game as special guests.
      The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) joined with the FA to secure the free tickets as a thank you to Brit families who opened their doors to refugees.
      Bear Grylls, who recently travelled to Ukraine to create a documentary on the war and interview Volodymyr Zelensky, also attended the game.
      Around 4,200 Ukraine fans will be cheering their country on when the game kicks off at 5pm.
      It is the first time time the team has played England since Euro 2020 when they lost 4-0.
      The team faced a nightmare 16-hour trip to Wembley for the match after the war closed Ukrainian airspace.
      Some of the starting 11 endured a gruelling 11 hour and 45 minute train journey from Ukraine capital Kyiv to Przemysl in Poland.
      That was followed by a 50-mile, two-hour bus trek to Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland.
      Then came a two hour and nine minute Ryanair flight to London Stansted before another 70-mile, 90-minute bus ride to the team’s Syon Park Hilton hotel.
      Roslan Rotan’s squad have been training Brentford’s base in London since Monday.
      The team have faced a number of other issues – including having to play in empty stadiums and air-raid siren interruptions.
      But Rotan insists any challenges are dwarfed by their “defenders and warriors” facing Russian invaders on the front line.
      Tonight’s match comes just over a year after Vladimir Putin stunned the world when he sent troops across the border.
      His brutal invasion saw hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians displaced as the war raged on.
      An FA spokesman said before the game: “The occasion is an opportunity to show solidarity with the Three Lions’ opponents.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, the football world has come together and Sunday’s fixture will welcome some of those displaced from their own country.
      ”Both sets of players will come together before kick-off to send a message of peace.”
      Ukrainian fans watched with banners showing their flag coloursCredit: Getty
      England’s James Maddison warming up ahead of the gameCredit: PA
      The war has raged on for a year now since Putin invaded
      Thousands of Ukrainians have been displaced More

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      We’ll pay our respects to war-torn Ukraine but I’ll worry if we aren’t as motivated as them, says England boss Southgate

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE has warned his England stars there is no room for sentiment against war-torn Ukraine at Wembley today.The Three Lions face Ukraine for the first time since the horrific Russian invasion of their country.
      Southgate has ordered his squad to maintain high standardsCredit: Getty
      Ukraine travel to Wembley to face EnglandCredit: Reuters
      And manager Southgate declared: “We all want to pay our respects and show our support — and that’s important.
      “But as soon as they enter the competition, they want to go through and it’s game on. So in a football sense we need to do what we need to do to win the game.”
      Scotland were overwhelmed by the occasion when they lost an emotionally-charged World Cup play-off semi-final last June in Ukraine’s first game since the war began.
      And Southgate yesterday ordered his squad to  maintain the high standards displayed in Thursday’s terrific 2-1  opening Euro 2024 qualifying win in Italy.
      Read More on England
      He insisted: “I would be worried if our players don’t have that same level of motivation Ukraine have.
      “Our job is to qualify, to represent our country with the pride that Ukraine are going to represent their country with.
      “We’ve got to make sure our level of motivation and focus is what it was before the game in Italy. We had a lot of drive for that.
      “Because we were still smarting from the World Cup, we were smarting from previous games against Italy. Now, three days later, we’ve got to get back to that start point.”
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      Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 in June 2022 — their first competitive match for nearly seven months — although they lost the  play-off final 1-0 to Wales so did not qualify for Qatar.
      England will travel to Ukraine on September 9 but since the war started, all their matches have been played in neighbouring Poland.
      Asked about the Scotland game, Southgate said: “That was difficult. It was the beginning of the war and Hampden had a different feel. But it’s not irrelevant.”
      More than 1,000 Ukrainians — and the families who have welcomed them into their homes across Britain — will attend today’s match.
      Before kick-off both teams will feature in a joint picture with the Ukraine national flag.
      England keeper Jordan Pickford said: “It’s tough for them as a nation. It’s a massive game of football first and foremost in the qualifying group.
      “That is a tough group for us to get out of. Obviously what they are going through is not very good for the nation. For us, it is a big  step to qualify for the Euros in Germany.”
      The last time England played Ukraine was in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals in Rome in July 2021 — nearly eight months before the Russian invasion.
      The Three Lions won 4-0 with two goals from Harry Kane and strikes by Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson. More

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      Inside war-torn Ukraine team’s horror journey to England with 16-hour coach trip ahead of Wembley clash

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      UKRAINE have suffered a nightmare journey to Wembley for today’s Euro qualifier.Manager Roslan Rotan insists any challenges facing his team are dwarfed by their “defenders and warriors” facing Russian invaders on the front line.
      Ukraine and manager Roslan Rotan have faced a nightmare journey to EnglandCredit: Reuters
      Ukraine take on the Three Lions at Wembley on SundayCredit: Getty
      Ukraine had an excruciatingly long journey to get to Wembley to face England
      But the war  — and subsequent closure of Ukrainian airspace — has forced his players to incorporate trains and buses in their journey to England.
      One group of Rotan’s stars, plus medical staff, endured a tiring 11hr 45min train journey from Ukraine capital Kyiv to Przemysl in Poland.
      That was followed by a 50-mile, two-hour bus trek to Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland.
      Then came a 2hr 9min Ryanair flight to London’s Stansted Airport before another 70-mile, 90-minute  bus ride to the team’s Syon Park Hilton hotel.
      READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS
      Another group of players and coaching staff left Lviv on a five-hour train journey before meeting up with the first batch at Rzeszow, while the team’s kit men had left Kyiv last Saturday.
      Ukraine do not have a home ground to play in. 
      They must rent stadiums across neighbouring borders to host “home” qualifiers, while away games such as today’s are a logistical nightmare.
      Rotan’s squad have been training at Brentford’s base in London since Monday in order to ease the travelling burden on players already stretched by their club schedules.
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      Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to start in LondonCredit: Getty
      There could also be a place in the Ukraine XI for Chelsea’s Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Getty
      Following the “home” leg of their Europa League last-16 tie with Feyenoord, played in Poland this month, Ukrainian Premier League leaders Shakhtar Donetsk had to travel 18 hours to Kryvyi Rih, a city in southern Ukraine, for a league game against Kryvbas KR three days later.
      They then made another 18-hour journey for the away leg four days later, which ended in a record 7-1 defeat.
      Just selecting a squad is hugely challenging for interim boss Rotan, who also looks after the Under-21s and is manager of Oleksandriya, currently fifth in the Ukrainian Premier League.
      His three jobs and logistical chaos mean he cannot travel abroad to watch Ukrainians such as Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko and Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk.
      While Ukrainian domestic games are often played in front of empty stands and interrupted by air-raid sirens.
      Last August, a game between Rukh and Metalist in Lviv lasted four-and-a-half HOURS as three sirens went off during the game, forcing players into a bunker. More

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      We don’t care about the England result, we just want 90 minutes where we can forget about the war says Ukraine fan

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      UKRAINE’S visit to Wembley tomorrow is about far more than just their bid to reach Euro 2024.For the thousands of Ukranians living in the UK, it is a chance to get a small feeling of home and remind the world of the terrors being inflicted on those under invasion from Russia.
      England will take on Ukraine on Sunday
      At least 4,000 Ukraine fans are expected to be in attendance
      Ruslan Rotan wants to offer fans a shot of hope
      More than 3,000 tickets have been sold in the away end while The FA have donated a further 1,000 to refugees.
      Manager Ruslan Rotan wants his side to offer a shot of hope for those in the stands with family suffering back home, and those watching from afar.
      Soldiers on the front line tuned in to watch their World Cup play-off victory over Scotland last year, and it makes a difference – however small.
      Stefan Luczka, a British-Ukrainian who is the chairman of the UK Ukrainian Sports Supporters Club, lives in Luton but has an uncle battling on the front line.
      Read More Football
      He told SunSport: “Any sort of morale boost will help.
      “Everything at the moment in terms of Ukraine is negative, in terms of being pummelled and bombarded with missiles.
      “Any sort of positivity or morale boost, not just for the guys on the front line it’s just a massive uplift. Any bit of positivity, winning or positive result.
      “Sport brings people together, 90 minutes to stop thinking about, ‘When I wake up in the morning, will I still have a house? Will a missile fall on my head or will I need to go and fight because Russia are coming closer and closer?'”
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      Luczka also hopes that occasions such as tomorrow, as well as any successful qualification for a major tournament, will offer a huge boost to those seeking support as coverage abroad naturally ebbs away over time.
      He said: “It would be absolutely phenomenal if we could qualify.
      “It is always a massive positive to make a major tournament, but added to that the extra meaning of it because of the war, it would be a massive boost of positivity to Ukrainians around the world.
      “It highlights to the rest of the world that Ukrainians are fighting, metaphorically, on the pitch as they are on the front line.”
      For a community having to watch their country suffer from afar, Sunday is about far more than just three points towards qualification, however.
      Luczka said: “The UK has been phenomenal in its support. That’s why on Sunday I’m not really bothered about the football.
      “It’s about Ukrainians getting together and even showing appreciation. If we can get even a message of thanks, for your support.”
      There is also ongoing support from the footballing family in England too.
      Today, the England Fans team will play a team of Ukrainian supporters in the ‘John Motson Memorial Cup’, raising funds and collecting donations to support those in need in Ukraine.
      Read More on The Sun
      A similar fundraising fixture was arranged last March, a month after the invasion, which saw England fans raise enough to drive two ambulances to Ukraine, both packed with humanitarian aid essentials, a trip supporters are hoping to repeat ahead of the return fixture in September.
      Luczka added: “It is football fans acting in the right spirit, it is what football should be.” More

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      Harry Kane reveals special boots he’ll wear for England vs Ukraine with nod to record and touching tribute

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      HARRY KANE has revealed the special boots he will wear against Ukraine – and they include a reference to his goal-scoring record. The striker netted his 54th goal for England against Italy as he scored from the spot.
      It’s been a good week for the England striker who has left all the drama at club side Tottenham behindCredit: Getty
      Kane’s colourful boots contain several interesting elementsCredit: Getty
      The star makes reference to both his scoring record and his children on his trainersCredit: Getty
      The goal took him one clear of Wayne Rooney and made him the Three Lions outright, all-time top scorer in the country’s history.
      Ahead of tomorrow’s game against Ukraine at Wembley, his boots for that match have been revealed and contain the number “54” at the back of the shoe.
      The flashy boots are largely in white but contain a tapestry of colourful words, images and shapes from the laces to the sole of the trainers.
      Phrases such as “all time top scorer” and “captain” can be seen, along with several small union jacks.
      READ MORE IN ENGLAND
      Most notably of all though is the wonderful tribute Kane, 29, leaves for his three kids.
      Their names – “Vivi”, which is short for Vivienne, “Ivy” and “Louis” are visible in small black letters on the sides of the boots.
      Their dates of birth are also visible alongside their name.
      Kane married childhood sweetheart Katie Goodland in 2019 and the two have three young children.
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      Ivy is the oldest at six, Vivienne is four and Louis is two.
      Kane’s family will be cheering on the star when he takes to the field at Wembley tomorrow.
      Victory in Naples has given England the perfect start to European Championship qualifying but Ukraine, with Premier League stars like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mykhailo Mudryk in their ranks, are likely to provide tough opposition.
      It is Ukraine’s first game in England since Russia invaded at the beginning of last year.
      The names and dates of birth of Kane’s children are visible on the bootCredit: Getty
      Kane’s ’54’ goals are referenced on the back of his left bootCredit: Getty More

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      Chelsea to host all-star charity match for Ukraine with big-name players from the Premier League and around the world

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      CHELSEA are set to host an all-star charity game for Ukraine, according to reports.Blues co-owner Todd Boehly is said to have provisionally agreed to allow Football for Ukraine to play an American-style all-star match.
      Todd Boehly has reportedly sanctioned a fundraising match for UkraineCredit: Reuters
      The Evening Standard report a number of active Premier League stars are set to be involved in the match in August.
      These would include Ukraine stars such as Chelsea’s own Mykhailo Mudryk and Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko – the founder of Football for Ukraine.
      The exact format of the contest is yet to be confirmed.
      However, there is hope the game will attract interest from the Premier League and around the world.
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      It’s hoped the game will go ahead within the first two weeks of August 2023.
      This means it would likely be in pre-season ahead of the 2023-24 season kicking off on August 12.
      Other Prem stars set to be involved could be Everton’s Vitaliy Mykolenko and Bournemouth’s Illya Zabarnyi.
      Brentford teenager Yehor Yarmoliuk could also be involved in the fixture.
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      Zinchenko’s Football for Ukraine initiative was set up with business partner Artemy Ryabov following Russia’s invasion.
      Chelsea, the Arsenal Foundation, Puma, Nike and Common Goal all support the charity.
      Andriy Shevchenko, a legend for both Ukraine and Chelsea, is also involved in the movement.
      The news comes after Chelsea agreed to face Shakhtar Donetsk in a friendly following the transfer deal for Mudryk. More

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      Football international joins Putin’s hooligan unit in Ukraine as battalion led by ultra dubbed The Spaniard boosts ranks

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      A FORMER football star has joined an army unit of Russian hooligans on the frontline in Ukraine.It comes as the battalion – led by an ultra dubbed The Spaniard – steps up recruitment in a desperate bid to boost ranks as Russian invaders continue to meet stiff Ukrainian resistance.
      Russia is stepping up recruitment of football hooligans to join the battalionCredit: East2West
      Former Russian international footballer Andrey Solomatin, right, has been recruitedCredit: East2West
      The unit is led by Stanislav Orlov, dubbed The SpaniardCredit: East2West
      The brigade, named Espanola, is filled with thugs from the terraces and has now been given special status among armed forces backing Vladimir Putin.
      Hooligans were recruited too, but now the unit is classed as a separate private military company, with the go-ahead to expand recruitment.
      The ultras are urged: “Get into the coolest adventures of your life with a real chance to come back alive from these scrapes.”
      They are promised a “decent reward” for turning their violent instincts on Ukraine.
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      Former Russian international footballer Andrey Solomatin, 47, has signed up.
      He played for Moscow clubs CSKA and Lokomotiv.
      Stanislav Orlov, commander of Española private military company, said: “We were volunteers, then part of the DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] forces.
      “Recently we managed to get separate status. So now we do not belong to any battalions or divisions.”
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      Orlov, whose call sign is “Spaniard”, said they had been given approval to create a separate battalion, Espanola.
      The hooligans’ battalion is 550 strong, including 100 operators of kamikaze drones used to attack Ukraine, he said.
      The fighters say they are being equipped by football supporters from across Russia.
      Orlov said: “There are a huge number of them.
      “All over Russia, in fact – in different cities there are different football teams.
      “We tell them what we need [and they provide it].”
      Five years ago, Putin’s regime desperately tried to crackdown on Russian hooligans and ultras – using an FSB crackdown to stop them ruining the FIFA World Cup, which Putin hosted.
      In 2016, Russian hooligans were in pitch battles with English fans at the UEFA Euro tournament in France.
      Now they are formalised as an armed force, and seen as heroes.
      Espanola is currently recruiting “stormtroopers”, scout-saboteurs, snipers, drone operators, electronic warfare and air defence operators, portable ground reconnaissance station operators, anti-tank guided missile operators, anti aircraft specialists, communications specialists, mechanic-drivers, and medics.
      Would-be fighters are told they will “take a quick but deep course of study in all directions with a real opportunity – or rather the need – to become a ‘universal soldier’.”
      They will “become a real military man and benefit the Motherland without delay”.
      And the stadium fighters will “get access and learn how to work with the most modern weapons, equipment and technologies”.
      Sniper detachments “are provided with all the most advanced technologies — this applies to transport, equipment, and of course [guns].”
      Recruits are told they “may not be hooligans, but they should be close to us in spirit and comply with the main principles of Española in life”.
      Recruitment sessions have been held in Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as other cities.
      They boast recruits from the hooligan armies of clubs like CSKA, Zenit, Spartak, Torpedo and Lokomotiv and the notorious Orel Butchers.
      Several are known to have died so far in the war, including CSKA Moscow fan Maxim Shmanin, 44.
      Read More on The Sun
      It comes as Moscow attempts to enlist women prisoners and kids in a desperate war effort.
      Putin has already deployed convicted murderers and rapists in his desire to wipe the state of Ukraine off the map. 
      Solomatin, 47, played for Moscow clubs CSKA and LokomotivCredit: East2West
      The hooligans’ battalion is 550 strongCredit: East2West
      Recruitment sessions have been held in Moscow and St PetersburgCredit: East2West
      The brigade, named Espanola, is filled with thugs from the terracesCredit: East2West More