Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club, has been left waiting for a UK visa after it transpired that his permit had expired.
According to a source close to the Russian oligarch, the billionaire’s UK visa expired at the beginning of May forcing him to apply for a renewal. However, the process is reportedly taking longer than expected to finalise.
The source has suggested that there is no explanation for the delay, which has forced the Chelsea owner to miss his side win the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium in London as a result.
In fact, reviews of the billionaires flight plans suggest that he has not been in the country since 1st April, possibly as a direct result of his UK visa concerns.
The delays to Abramovich’s visa application have come at a difficult time for the UK government, which is currently struggling with a deteriorating relationships with Moscow following the poisoning of former Russian spy and double agent Sergei Skripal, along with his daughter Yulia.
When questioned on the issue, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladmir Putin, suggested that many of the country’s businesses are currently facing “various manifestations of unfriendly and unscrupulous competitions”. However, he declined to comment on Abramovich’s specific case.
Abramovich originally purchased Chelsea in 2003 and is currently Russia’s 11th richest man, with an estimated net worth of around £8.1 billion.