Chelsea will face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals in April, but the club is currently unable to sell tickets to fans.
The FA has confirmed that the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace will be played at full capacity, despite the restrictions currently imposed on the Blues.
The two clubs are scheduled to meet on April 16 at Wembley Stadium, but as things stand, Chelsea will be unable to sell tickets to their fans due to the government’s decision to sanction current owner Roman Abramovich.
Nonetheless, the Blues have received a small boost ahead of the semi-final, as an FA spokesperson confirmed that the governing body intends to ensure that the crowd is sold-out with Chelsea fans in attendance.
“We expect sell-out crowds at both of our Emirates FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium,” said the statement. “This includes tickets for Chelsea fans for their match against Crystal Palace, and we are working with the Government on a method to achieve this while respecting Chelsea’s current sanctions.”
Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Middlesbrough 2-0 at the weekend. While a small number of fans were present for that game because they purchased tickets before the sporting licence was implemented, the Blues will obviously want as many of their supporters as possible at Wembley for what promises to be a difficult encounter with the Eagles.
Patrick Vieira’s side defeated Everton 4-0 in their quarter-final, and as they have yet to win the FA Cup, they will be motivated to beat Chelsea and advance to their third final.
