There seems to be an emerging consensus that the best way to hit back at Russia is to hit back at assets and funds held by Russians in London which, it is claimed, have in many cases being acquired illegally and are being laundered in London. Why nothing has been done about this before now is another question.
Matthew Syed is a highly respected football journalist, but I do think parts of his article in The Times this morning are exaggerated. The headline reads 'Spy case could spell trouble for Abramovich.'
The article starts in rather melodramatic fashion with someone being beaten to death in Russia, but later on speculates about a strong British version of the American Magnitsky Act which, it is suggested, could place Roman Abramovich's assets in jeopardy as the state would be able to determine 'whether assets owned in Britain were paid for with ill-gotten cash.'
'If our legislators have the courage to draft a rigorous clause ... it is not just Abramovich's home and assets that may be at risk, but Chelsea FC. This could bring an end to a long-running saga that has shamed the English game [how?] and received scant scrutiny.'
It seems to me that this is a harsh attack on Abramovich. OK, he knows Putin, but so do lots of people. I don't really see any of this happening or any threat to Chelsea as one of our leading clubs.
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