Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sympathises with Chelsea supporters, but agrees with the United Kingdom government's decision to sanction Roman Abramovich.
Long-time Chelsea owner Abramovich was one of seven Russian oligarchs to have his assets frozen on Thursday due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich, whose net worth is reported to be in the region of £9.4billion, has previously been photographed with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Chelsea have been granted a special sporting licence to continue trading – and indeed playing – as a football club, but other hard-hitting sanctions have been put in place.
They include a ban on selling tickets, with only season-ticket holders permitted to attend matches, while the Blues cannot buy or sell players, or offer new contracts.
That leaves Chelsea facing an uncertain future, but Klopp insists the decision taken by authorities is the correct one given the ongoing events in Ukraine.
"Thomas [Tuchel] and I know each other well, but we are not that close to talk about what's been said," Klopp said at a pre-match news conference on Friday.
"We talk about games, yes, but not other moments. Of course, for him, the players and the employers at Chelsea, it's not a situation they are responsible for.
"One man is responsible for that and it's Vladimir Putin. I don't know about Roman Abramovich's role and all these kind of things.
"But over the years you could guess he's pretty close. I think what the British government did is right, to be 100 per cent honest.
"It's still not cool for the people of Chelsea or the supporters, I get that. But I think the things the government did are right."
Among other major knock-on effects for Chelsea, shirt sponsor Three has asked the club to remove its logos from team shirts and from the club's Stamford Bridge stadium.
It was business as usual for the west London side on Thursday as they saw off bottom club Norwich City 3-1 to consolidate third place in the Premier League.
Speaking after the match, Mason Mount admitted he and his team-mates cannot simply ignore off-the-field events.
"You can't really avoid it, as there's a lot going on," Mount told BBC Sport. "We have to focus on what we do on the pitch.
"We had a game today and that was the only thing we could focus on. We did that today, so now it's about Sunday. You try not to look too much into it."
Chelsea host Newcastle United on Sunday in their first game at Stamford Bridge since these developments.
Norwich City 0-0 Leeds United: Championship play-off finely poised for second leg
Norwich City and Leeds United could not be separated in a goalless draw in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, leaving it all to play for at Elland Road.
Junior Firpo put the ball into the back of the net in the 30th minute, but it was ruled out for a marginal offside by Georginio Rutter in the build-up at Carrow Road.
Marcelino Nunez failed to take Norwich's best chance in the first half, firing wide of the left post after Leeds had an early penalty shout for a foul on Wilfried Gnonto by Borja Sainz dismissed by the referee.
The sides will meet again on Thursday at Elland Road for a winner-takes-all-decider and a place in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium on May 26.
Data Debrief: Stalemate
Norwich have failed to score in a home game for the first time since December. It is also the first time they have failed to win an EFL play-off at home, winning both of the previous two by a 3-1 scoreline (vs Wolves in 2001-02 and Ipswich Town in 2014-15).
Leeds only attempted six shots in this game (two on target), their lowest total in a single match in the Championship this season.
Messi fury sees Martino call for MLS rules revision on injuries
Lionel Messi was left frustrated by being kept on the sidelines after an injury scare in Saturday's win over CF Montreal, with Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino calling for a revision of MLS rulings.
The former Barcelona superstar was visibly furious after being forced off temporarily from a George Campbell foul, with the Miami forward missing a chance to take a presentable free-kick opportunity.
New MLS regulations state players must leave the pitch for two minutes if the referee stops play due to a potential injury that leaves them on the ground for over 15 seconds.
Following the 3-2 triumph over Montreal, Martino questioned the ruling and suggested it punished the wrong party.
"There are situations that must be revised," the Herons boss said.
"In Leo's situation, he was clearly fouled. The player deserved a yellow card, which would mean Messi would've never left the field for two minutes.
"As I understand it, the team that suffered the foul was punished. With these new rule changes, some situations must be revised.
"The infraction was clear and was a yellow card, and ultimately it was us that lost Leo for two minutes."
Miami were left further aggrieved despite making it five straight wins to move three points clear at the Eastern Conference summit.
Luis Suarez failed to leave the pitch in under 10 seconds when replaced by Leo Campana in the 92nd minute, with new MLS regulations meaning the fourth official delayed the substitution for another minute.
"In the case of Suarez, we had a very important difference with the fourth referee in respect to the minute," Martino added.
"We thought Suarez exited the pitch in under a minute, he did not see it that way and so Leo Campana's entry to the game was delayed."
Navas to leave PSG at end of season
Keylor Navas has confirmed that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Navas joined PSG in 2019, making 113 appearances for the club while keeping 51 clean sheets. He won nine major honours with the French club, including three Ligue 1 titles and two Coupe de France medals. He also collected a Champions League runner-up medal in 2019-20.
Navas served as the first-choice goalkeeper for the first two seasons but has struggled for playing time since Gianluigi Donnarumma joined the club in 2021.
Since returning to PSG after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, Navas has made just three Ligue 1 appearances this campaign.
In a statement on social media, Navas confirmed that he would be leaving the French capital and will use their home game against Toulouse on Sunday to say goodbye to the fans.
He said: “Every second spent at the Parc des Princes was wonderful.
“Thank God, I have always felt love and encouragement.
“It was an honour to defend this badge in this incredible stadium.
“I still have some goals to accomplish, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to what used to be my home.”
His departure follows the news that Kylian Mbappe will also be leaving the Ligue 1 champions, with the forward making his announcement on Friday.
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