“Your contribution and interest made this possible.” Following the crowning of the London club at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last month, Chelsea’s German coach Thomas Duchess addressed Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Russian club. He increased the number of degrees under the rule of the wealthy businessman to 19 degrees from his acquisition. 2003.
But a few weeks after the coronation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the closeness of Russian President Vladimir Putin put the future of Abramovich and Chelsea in jeopardy.
Abramovich handed over the club’s “administration and care” to the club’s trustees’ charity, according to a statement issued by European champions three days ago.
On the London Club’s official website, Abramovich said: “In almost 20 years of Chelsea FC’s ownership, I have always observed my role as goalkeeper, whose aim is to ensure our success as it is today. It plays a positive role in the future and in our communities.”
He continued: “Above all I have always made decisions with the club’s interest in mind. I am committed to these values. That’s why I provide the management and maintenance of the club to the trustees of the Chelsea Foundation … I think they are currently in the best position to look after the interests of the club, players, staff and fans.
According to the latest figures from Forbes magazine, 55-year-old Abramovich has a net worth of $ 13.6 billion.
After his team lost to Liverpool on penalties in Sunday’s League Cup final, the club’s daily management confirmed that the same approach was still being followed in the presence of director Marina Kronowskaya, technical director and Czech adviser Peter Czech, in the presence of the former goalkeeper.
The Telegraph and the BBC have expressed concern that the Chelsea Foundation’s trustees could face legal repercussions and damage to their reputation if they accept the role.
Abramovich is not among the names covered by British sanctions for Russian individuals and companies close to the Russian president, but British Liberal Democrat MP Leila Moran last week used her parliamentary privilege to name Abramovich one of 35 “supporters” of President Vladimir Putin. Should be personally punished by Britain.
If Abramovich is punished, Chelsea’s future will be bleak. Sports lawyer Stephen Taylor Heath noted: “In the legal context, an agency is nothing more than supervising or overseeing something, that is, doing (charter) work.”
“If the government orders Abramovich not to run and sponsor the club, the Premier League should immediately analyze whether the club’s ownership has already been transferred to the board of trustees.”
Recent calculations by Fordstam Ltd show that Abramovich’s soft loans to the club now exceed 1.5 billion (approximately $ 2 billion). As a result, Chelsea have enjoyed unprecedented success for two decades.
Abramovich was crowned English Premier League champion before buying it (1955), and began a massive foreign investment in English football, helping to increase transfer payments and player pay. Within two seasons of its acquisition, Chelsea were crowned English Premier League champions, raising the number of titles so far to five during his reign. During the early years of fame under Jose Mourinho, the Russian businessman was permanently on the Stamford Bridge, but the famous coach Abramovich fired him twice for the price of pragmatism.
Abramovich does not hesitate to sack coaches if the results are compromised, and his club has hired 13 coaches during his 19-year rule. However, Abramovich has been completely sidelined from watching his team’s matches in recent years, and questions have been raised as to whether he will retain his interest after the delay in renewing his work visa in the UK, which led to his withdrawal of his application in 2018. “Stamford” is frozen to redevelop the stadium. The bridge “after a while. But in return, Chelsea spent m 220m on the summer transfer window dealing with the Corona virus epidemic and its impact on the cash reserves of many clubs across Europe. The investment paid off by winning the Champions League for the second time last year. Abramovich, who played in the final against City, celebrated the coronation with the players at the ground in Abu Dhabi on February 12, when the Chelsea club won their first World Cup. , Tweeted with a picture of the owner holding the cup high.
If Chelsea had won the league trophy against Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday (lost on penalties) Abramovich would not have attended if the players and fans had rallied to show solidarity with Ukraine.
A statement issued by Chelsea on Sunday morning entitled “Pray for Peace” criticized the club, without even mentioning Russia. After years of profiting from Abramovich’s money, Chelsea will now face the cost of trying to distance themselves from the man who has positioned him in Europe’s elite clubs.