The pending sale of Chelsea FC is causing confusion on both sides of the pond - and differing reports as to the status of Charlotte FC hosting a friendly with the top-tier English Premier League squad. I can confidently report that Chelsea is scheduled to play Charlotte in a friendly match at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, July 20 and tickets will be on sale soon; however, Charlotte FC sources will neither confirm nor deny the date, and the match itself is still in jeopardy.

A quick refresher: Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owned Chelsea FC up until Vladimir Putin’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. Shortly after Russia invaded, the British government sanctioned Abramovich, effectively forcing the sale of the club. However, there are still numerous unresolved issues, the sale hasn’t gone through, players are leaving the team, and the legal status of the club after this month is in doubt, requiring the government and the EPL to approve the sale. If the sale doesn’t go through in time, it would almost certainly disrupt any Chelsea matches scheduled on U.S. soil.

I bet you didn’t have “Vladimir Putin disrupts soccer match in Charlotte, NC” on your 2022 bingo card.

As many outlets - including this one - have previously reported, all signs point to a Charlote/Chelsea match on July 20. The FC Series website shows a US-hosted match against Chelsea on July 20, and another Charlotte-based outlet confirmed the match with an MLS source.

Last night, multiple season ticket holders told me on background that Charlotte FC sales reps have reached out to them about the Chelsea match - but over 25 season ticket holders I informally polled in a Charlotte Supporters Facebook group have not yet been contacted by the team. The plot thickened when a season ticket holder produced a screenshot (above) of a countdown clock for a Ticketmaster presale at 10:00 AM this Thursday for a Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea FC match on Wednesday, July 20 at 7:00 PM.

This morning, the Ticketmaster link in the screenshot no longer works.

When I reached out to a Charlotte FC employee last night for comment on the details found on the Ticketmaster site, they wouldn’t confirm or deny, simply saying “as always plans are subject to change.” What’s likely the story here is the conflict between Charlotte FC wanting this match to be a major event - big enough to open all 74,867 seats at Bank of America Stadium - and the reality of Chelsea’s uncertain future.

So what does this all mean? Charlotte will host Chelsea on July 20 … if they have Parliament and the English Premier League’s approval.