Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich has experienced delays in renewing his visa for the UK, the BBC reports.
The Russian billionaire did not attend Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley when the Blues beat Manchester United 1-0.
His office said it does not discuss personal matters with the media.
A source close to Mr Abramovich, 51, suggested he was in the process of renewing his visa, and said it was taking a little longer than usual.
Reports suggest his investor visa expired last month.
The Home Office has not commented on the situation.
The delay comes amid increased diplomatic tensions between London and Moscow after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
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Mr Abramovich, who made his fortune in oil and gas in the 1990s, became owner of the companies that control Chelsea in 2003.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, he is Britain’s 13th-richest man, with a net worth of £9.3bn.
Mr Abramovich is also the former governor of the remote Chukotka region in Russia’s Far East.
Who is Roman Abramovich?
- The 51-year-old is one of Russia’s richest billionaires
- He reportedly was selling dolls, before making his fortune in oil during the perestroika years in the 1990s
- Mr Abramovich was a one-time business partner of the late Boris Berezovky, an associate of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin
- Critics say the two businessmen used their Kremlin “family” ties to acquire key state companies for below market value
- Abramovich served as governor of Russia’s Chukotka region and was an MP
- He is believed to be close to current Russian President Vladimir Putin
