Why has Roman Abramovich not been hit with UK sanctions before?

Analysis: The oligarch's wealth was questioned by some from the moment he arrived at Chelsea - but officialdom moves slowly

Roman Abramovich has been a prominent and controversial figure since 2003, when he bought Chelsea football club, and the document imposing sanctions on him cites contracts he received before the 2018 World Cup. So why has nothing happened before now?

There are various reasons, but much it boils down to one key factor: such things take time, and especially when compiling what officials stress has to be a legally watertight" case against someone with access to extremely expensive lawyers.