Abramovich declares no interest in owning a football club again

Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea FC, has publicly stated that he has no interest in owning or taking a professional role at any football club again.

This marks his first public comment on the matter since selling Chelsea in May 2022.

Abramovich, who bought Chelsea in 2003 for a reported £140 million, sold it to the Todd Boehly–Clearlake Capital consortium in May 2022. The £2.5 billion proceeds were placed in a frozen UK bank account, intended to be donated to charities supporting victims of the war in Ukraine.

The 58-year-old Russian billionaire has stated that he has no interest in buying the London club or any other again. This revelation comes from the new book, Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC, authored by Nick Purewal, and quoted by the Daily Mail.

I don’t have any interest in any role in a football club, certainly not a professional role.

“There might be something where I could help with academies and youngsters, giving greater opportunities to people from difficult backgrounds, if there were an initiative that could make a difference.

“But as for ownership or a professional role at a club, I am done with that in this lifetime.”

Abramovich also expressed his hope to someday return to Stamford Bridge to bid the fans farewell.

“Perhaps one day there would be a situation where I could attend a match and say a proper goodbye, but nothing more than that.

He further stated that he would not allow the accusations, including those from the UK government, to distract him.

“An old Russian is saying, ‘The dogs bark but the caravan keeps moving,’ and that fits here. Whatever I do, people will always accuse me of some kind of agenda. In the end, I have done what I have done simply to try to help.”

Last week, the UK govt had threatened Abramovich with legal action over the frozen £2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) generated from the sale of the club, which has been earmarked to help Ukraine’s war victims.

Finance Minister Rachel Reeves and Foreign Minister David Lammy said late Monday they were “frustrated” by the failure to reach an agreement with Abramovich over where the funds of the May 2022 sale go.

The UK government wants the funds to be directed towards humanitarian purposes in Ukraine, but the oligarch insists they be used for all victims of the conflict, including 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,” said the two ministers.

“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 will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible,” they added.

During his time as Chelsea owner, the club won 21 major trophies, including two Champions League titles, two Europa League titles, five Premier League trophies, and a Club World Cup, among others.