Chelsea refuse to give up hope on £1BILLION Stamford Bridge extension

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Chelsea accept that planning permission to overhaul Stamford Bridge will expire on Tuesday due to the scale of the coronavirus pandemic but owner Roman Abramovich is refusing to shelve plans for a new ground. 

The club, along with many of their rivals, are facing financially uncertain times, due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the return of the Premier League still unknown. 

Abramovich wants to expand Stamford Bridge to a 60,000-seater stadium in a move that could cost up to £1billion. But, for the foreseeable future, the current global health crisis has put the project on hold.  

In 2017, the west London side were granted permission to begin knocking down buildings around their stadium over a period of three years, however, not one building has been demolished and the expiry date is March 31. 

Chelsea owner  Abramovich stopped any working on the project in 2018 due to strained diplomatic relations. 

The Blues owner saw his investor visa application revoked by the British government due to his close relationship with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. 

In a statement posted to their website, the club wrote: 'Chelsea Football Club acknowledges that the planning permission we obtained for a new stadium expires on 31st March 2020.

'We are grateful to all our fans and stakeholders, especially Hammersmith & Fulham Council, for their patience and understanding in the matter. We will continue to consider our options for a new stadium, should economic conditions improve.' 

Abramovich's plans to extend the stadium are not completely over, and while he is likely to revisit expansion plans following the easing of the pandemic, no new date has been revealed as of yet.