Football
Roman Abramovich Officially Announces His Decision to Sell Chelsea
by privatebet.com - 2022/03/03
Chelsea soared to new heights since Roman Abramovich took the reins as its owner in 2003, but he’s ready to step down after almost two decades. All hell broke loose after the Russian oligarch announced his decision to sell the club in the face of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Abramovich released a lengthy statement explaining his reasoning behind this “incredibly difficult decision”, adding it’s been a privilege of a lifetime to be a part of Chelsea FC. “As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners,” said Abramovich in the official statement. The Russian billionaire also added that he won’t ask for any loans to be repaid and that all the net proceeds from the sale will be donated to the victims of the war in Ukraine. Chelsea reportedly owes Abramovich £1.5 billion. He bought the club for £140 million in 2003 and its value increased to around £2.39 billion during his tenure, according to Forbes. Abramovich also said that the sale of the club will follow due process instead of being fast-tracked and expressed interest in visiting Stamford Bridge for one last time to say goodbye in person.