Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, has publicly stated that he is no longer interested in owning or taking any professional role at a football club.
This is Abramovich’s first public statement on the issue since he sold Chelsea in May 2022.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 for around £140 million and owned the club for nearly two decades. In May 2022, he sold it to the Todd Boehly–Clearlake Capital consortium for £2.5 billion. The money from the sale was put in a frozen UK bank account, with plans for it to be donated to charities helping victims of the war in Ukraine.
Now 58, the Russian billionaire made it clear he has no intention of returning to football ownership. His comments were revealed in the new book Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC by Nick Purewal, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“I don’t have any interest in any role in a football club, certainly not a professional role,” Abramovich said. “There might be some way I could help with youth academies or give opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, if it could make a real difference. But when it comes to owning a club or having a professional role, I’m done with that in this lifetime.”
Abramovich also mentioned he hopes to return to Chelsea’s stadium, Stamford Bridge, one day to say goodbye to the fans properly.
“Maybe one day I’ll be able to attend a match and say a proper farewell, but nothing more than that,” he added.
He also addressed the criticism and accusations he has faced, particularly from the UK government.
“There’s an old Russian saying, ‘The dogs bark but the caravan moves on,’ and I think that fits here. No matter what I do, people will always accuse me of having some hidden motive. But I’ve only ever tried to help.”
Recently, the UK government threatened to take legal action against Abramovich over the frozen £2.5 billion from the sale of Chelsea. The money was meant to go to victims of the war in Ukraine, but talks between Abramovich and the government have stalled.
UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said they were “deeply frustrated” that no agreement had been reached with Abramovich. While the UK wants the money to go solely to help people in Ukraine, Abramovich wants it to support all victims of the conflict, including those in Russia, according to AFP.
“The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine,” the ministers said in a joint statement.
“We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach an agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far. While the door for negotiations remains open, we are ready to go to court if necessary, to ensure that people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these funds as soon as possible.”
During Abramovich’s time as Chelsea owner, the club won 21 major trophies, including two UEFA Champions League titles, two Europa League titles, five Premier League titles, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
