A new book is set to reveal the untold story behind one of the most dramatic and geopolitically charged moments in modern sports history — the 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club by Israeli-Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Sanctioned: The Inside Story of Chelsea FC's Sale, by journalist Nick Purewal, will be published this summer by Biteback Publishing in the UK.
Abramovich, one of the wealthiest Jewish figures in the world, was forced to sell Chelsea after being sanctioned by the British government in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The book promises a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at how the Premier League club was sold under immense political pressure and the looming threat of bankruptcy — all within a mere 95 days.
Purewal, a veteran British sports journalist and former Chelsea correspondent for the Press Association, reportedly gained “unprecedented access” to figures close to Abramovich and to the inner workings of the negotiations. The book also explores the failed peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine that Abramovich was reportedly involved in during the same period — a revelation first broken by Purewal himself in 2022.
According to Biteback Publishing, Sanctioned will offer readers “a vivid blend of geopolitics and sport,” as it traces how Cold War-style politics, UK government intervention, and even a suspected poisoning attempt formed the backdrop to one of the most complex sports transactions of all time.
During his nearly two-decade tenure as Chelsea’s owner, Abramovich worked to position the club as a global leader in the fight against antisemitism. In 2018, Chelsea launched the “Say No to Antisemitism” campaign under Abramovich’s guidance, becoming the first football club in the world to formally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. In 2021, Chelsea unveiled a permanent mural at Stamford Bridge commemorating three Jewish footballers murdered in Nazi concentration camps.
“These actions were more than symbolic,” noted a former Chelsea executive. “They demonstrated how sport can confront hate head-on — and that legacy remains even after Abramovich’s departure.”
Revealing a chaotic period
Author Nick Purewal said the book seeks to pull together the many threads of a chaotic period. “The Chelsea sale flew by so quickly that many crucial events could only be reported in passing,” he said in a statement. “I’ve spent almost two years piecing together the story from all sides, and the result is an impartial account of three months that changed Chelsea and English football forever.”
Editorial Director Olivia Beattie of Biteback described the book as “a fast-paced narrative, rich with insider detail,” adding that “this is not just for Chelsea fans — it’s a story of power, politics, and sport at their most intertwined.”
Sanctioned will be released in hardcover in summer 2025 and will retail for £20.