Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck admits that even the Premier League leaders could be vulnerable to the credit crunch.
The funds owner Roman Abramovich has loaned Chelsea have allowed the London club to grow into one of the continent’s big hitters, but Buck admits the Blues will be affected by the financial downturn.
“No one is immune to the credit crisis, even football,” he told Sky Sports News.
“I don’t think any club is feeling it (the credit crunch) immediately but I think we all will feel it in the relatively near term.
“I think when season ticket renewals go out in May and when people start thinking about Christmas presents, I think we’re going to have a more difficult time in our megastore and with corporate hospitality and our season ticket sales.
“The credit crunch is a very big issue that we are all going to have to deal with, certainly in the middle term, even with a benefactor like Roman Abramovich.
“If we think revenues are going to go down a bit we will have to look at our expense side and see if there are areas we can save a little bit and that is something we are doing at the moment. ”
But Buck also believes the club can continue to rely on Abramovich’s largesse.
He said: “We’re very comfortable with the debt we have from Roman Abramovich in terms of its viability, its importance and its long-term availability.”
