Chelsea fans received an unwelcome present on the Premier English League team’s 117th birthday Thursday: British government sanctions against Russian owner Roman Abramovich that only served to intensify the team’s growing pariah status in the soccer world.

The aluminium magnate is among seven wealthy Russians who had their assets frozen under British sanctions on Thursday in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Under the unprecedented government action, Chelsea will operate through the end of the season on May 31 with a special “Russia Regulations” license that among other restrictions prohibits the team from selling new tickets or merchandise, or signing new players.

The club’s future was already in doubt: Abramovich, whose $2 billion investment in Chelsea over 19 years transformed the team into a force in European football, had put the squad up for sale last week amid growing calls that sanctions be imposed on a man the government has labelled a “pro-Kremlin oligarch” linked to “destabilizing … undermining and threatening” Ukraine.