Roman Abramovich, Chelsea FC owner, was curiously absent when his club picked up the FA Cup title on Saturday.
According to Russian website The Bell, Abramovich was unable to make the game because his British visa has not been renewed.
The visa of the Russian billionaire, who bought Chelsea in 2003, was said to have expired more than three weeks ago and he is yet to be granted another one.
Although Abramovich’s application has not been denied, the report says “UK authorities were taking longer than usual to renew it without offering any explanation”.
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He is said to have previously attempted to obtain a British passport but received a residence permit in Jersey earlier this year.
Flight records show that the businessman’s personal Boeing 767 airplane was last in London on April 1, the publication added.
The development comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Russia and the UK in the wake of the Salisbury spy poisoning, along with recent British military involvement in Syria.
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