Amidst the war between Russia and Ukraine, the owner of Chelsea football club, Roman Abramovich has stated that he has put the club up for sale.
In a statement released on the club’s website, the Russian owner of the football club stated that the sale of the club would follow due process. He further noted that the sale of the club was in the best interest of Chelsea FC, its fans, sponsors and other stakeholders of the club.
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He said, “I would like to address the speculation in the media over the past few days in relation to my ownership 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.
“The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid. This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club.”
Abramovich further stated that he has instructed his team to ensure that all net proceeds of the sale go to victims of the war in Ukraine.
He said, “Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long term work of recovery.
“Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the Club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club.
“I hope I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge on last time to say goodbye to all of you in person. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements. Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.”
This comes after Abramovich, handed over the “stewardship and care” of Chelsea to the trustees of its charitable foundation. This was announced in a statement posted on the website of the European champions on Saturday.
Moreso, in the wake of the Ukraine invasion by Russia, the owner of Chelsea Football Club was barred from living in the United Kingdom. The UK government claimed that Abramovich was named by Members of Parliament as being one of 35 oligarchs identified by the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, as one of the ‘key enablers’ of the ‘kleptocracy’ run by the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.
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