There is one thing that doesn’t sit comfortably with me regarding this whole Chelsea situation – how did Roman Abramovich suddenly become unfit to own a football club overnight?

I understand that putting pressure on Vladimir Putin is crucial right now, and one of the best ways to do that is by roughing up the oligarchs who have traditionally been close to him. But if Abramovich is not a fit and proper person to own an English football club now, surely he wasn’t four weeks ago either. Nothing substantial about his own position could have changed in that time frame to suddenly make him unworthy.

It all feels very manufactured to me, like the UK authorities are almost framing Abramovich to achieve their goals. Because, as it stands, any legitimate reasons they have for essentially ‘confiscating’ Chelsea must have been there for years. If there is anything questionable about Abramovich personally – other than his association with Putin – then it must surely have been questionable prior to February 20.

What this tells me is one of two things – either the UK authorities are supremely incompetent, or they were perfectly happy for Abramovich to pump money into the football club and the overall economy until the world’s spotlight was on them.

And the same goes for America and the European Union as well. All these sanctions they are imposing against the oligarchs suggest that these men and women are not fit to be allowed to live or conduct business in their territories. Yet they have been doing just that while being welcomed with open arms for many, many years.

On that basis, the only thing that has really changed in the last three and a half weeks is that a man these billionaires know has invaded a neighbouring country. Not them personally, as they do not form part of the Russian administration. They are being found guilty by association, irrespective of whether they agree with that associate’s actions.

They are being found guilty by association, irrespective of whether they agree with that associate’s actions

Again, and let me emphasise this, anything that can be done to stop the war in Ukraine has to be done. If that involves seizing the assets of people who can apply pressure on Putin, then so be it. But the way it is being done, the way people like Abramovich are being ostracised after years of being welcomed, just doesn’t seem right.

And you know what else won’t be right? When this is all over and some sort of world order has been re-established, these oligarchs will start to find themselves (and, more pertinently, their money) welcomed back into the countries that are currently trying to make examples of them.

They will be back buying football clubs and other massive sporting institutions across Europe and the rest of the Western world. Their superyachts will be welcomed in Western harbours and their billions welcomed by Western banks.

If these sanctions help stop the war, then so be it. I will go along with anything if it brings around peace. But don’t try and tell me the way people like Abramovich are being targeted would, under normal circumstances, be acceptable in progressive democracies.

Jumping on the brand wagon

I get why huge brands want to be associated with the huge football clubs – the sport’s global appeal gives these sponsors immense exposure to existing and potential clients. Having your name on the shirts, around the ground, in the programmes and on the digital media channels can and, one assumes, does drive up sales and boost brand awareness.

What I am less sure about are stadium naming rights. That, to me at least, seems like little more than ego massaging. Especially when you are talking about a stadium that has been around for a while.

If it is a new build without an established name then go ahead and brand the heck out of it. Arsenal play at the Emirates, for example, and there is a pretty decent chance it will always be known as such no matter what its official name may become. But I am pretty sure that tagging your brand to an existing stadium is almost pointless.

Did anyone, anywhere, ever call Newcastle United’s ground the Sports Direct Arena when it was officially thus? To me and everybody else as far as I am aware, it always remained St James’s Park.

What brings this up? Well, last week it was announced that Spotify will become the new sponsors of the Barcelona’s stadium which will, from July, be called the “Spotify Nou Camp”.

Well, here’s a little heads-up for the marketing chaps at Spotify: No. It. Won’t.

There is no chance in hell that anyone other than the club’s official channels and maybe a small section of obedient media would ever dream of calling it by that official title. The fans certainly won’t. Do you think Pedro is going to call José on match day and tell him to meet outside the ‘Spotify’? Erm no.

And millions of football lovers around the globe who have always known it as the Nou Camp (or possibly the Camp Nou, if you want to be picky) will keep on calling it what they have always called it.

To be fair, this particular stadium naming plot is part of a bigger package, with Spotify also becoming the main shirt sponsor of Barcelona’s men’s and women’s teams.

But I think if we are honest, any attempt to change the name of a stadium that has been ingrained in supporters’ psyche since birth is little more than an exercise in futility.

E-mail: james@quizando.com

Twitter: @maltablade