Chelsea said on Sunday they were "praying for peace" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine after owner Roman Abramovich's decision to hand over control of the Premier League club. The Russian-Israeli billionaire announced on Saturday that he was handing the "stewardship and care" of Chelsea to the trustees of the club's charitable foundation. Chelsea released a 24-word statement on their website on Sunday but there was no mention of Russia or its president, Vladimir Putin. It is understood Abramovich, who allegedly has links to the Kremlin, took the decision to step aside in order to protect Chelsea from reputational damage as war rages in Ukraine. If the Czechs beat Sweden on 24 March, they are scheduled to meet the winner of the Poland v Russia match a few days later.

Source: News 24 February 27, 2022 22:36 UTC