Russian businessman Roman Abramovich on Wednesday said he would sell English club Chelsea 19 years after buying the London club, and promised to donate money from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.

Amid calls for sanctions against Abramovich in the Russo-Ukrainian war, the Metal Chancellor said in a statement that the sale was for the benefit of Champions League and club World Cup holders.

“In the current situation, in the interest of the club, the fans and staff and the club’s sponsors and partners, I have decided to sell the club,” Abramovich said.

Abramovich said the club would not ask him to repay the loans, valued at a total of 1.5 1.5 billion ($ 2.0 billion), and that the sale would not happen quickly.

He also asked his aides to set up a charity that would receive the full proceeds from the sale on the net.

“This foundation will work for all those affected by the war in Ukraine,” the Russian millionaire added in a statement. This includes providing the necessary funding to meet the immediate and immediate needs of victims and long-term recovery processes.

Hansorg Weiss, the Swiss business president, told the Swiss newspaper Blick that he was considering buying Chelsea from Abramovich, who announced last Saturday that he was stepping down from the club’s management in support of the Chelsea Foundation’s board of trustees, but did not specify any plans to change. Right at that time.

“Abramovic is currently trying to sell all of his assets in the UK,” Blake Weiss was quoted as saying in an interview on Wednesday. He wants to get rid of Chelsea FC soon. On Tuesday, the other three and I had the opportunity to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.

A time full of nicknames

Abramovich bought the West London club in 2003, and his investment helped Chelsea reach the most successful period in the club’s history, winning five Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League twice.

As Chelsea overcame strong dominance of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, his acquisition of the club changed the landscape of English football.

Last February, the team defeated Club World Cup champions Brazilian Palmeiras for the first time in its history, and beat Manchester City in the Champions League final last season.

BBC presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker described the announcement of the sale ahead of Chelsea’s coverage of the fifth round of the FA Cup against Loton Down as a “touching moment”.

Chelsea fans in Loton Town chanted the name of the Russian millionaire before the kick-off.

Abramovich, 55, also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, became one of Russia’s most powerful businessmen after amassing great wealth after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Forbes magazine estimates his net worth at $ 13.3 billion.

Britain has imposed sanctions on 12 elites and at least 12 Russian banks and companies, including Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia and Belarus.

British Labor opposition leader Khair Stormer today asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson why no ban had been imposed on Chelsea’s owner.

Speaking in Parliament, Johnson said he could not go into the specifics of specific cases.

But Secretary of State Liz Truss warned that he had prepared a “limited list” of Russians loyal to Putin’s regime, and that the government would impose new sanctions on them every few weeks.

According to the British Financial Times, the government plans to seize the assets of Russian figures loyal to the Moscow regime.

David Davis, a senior MP for Johnson’s Conservative Party, said the sale should be stopped until Abramovich establishes his source of wealth.

“We must do everything we can to prevent him from selling his UK assets,” Davis said on Twitter.

Abramovich said the decision to sell was too difficult. “I hope we can go to Stamford Bridge for the last time and say goodbye to all of you in person,” he added.

Abramovich, who boycotted life in London in 2018, accused the British government of delaying the renewal of his visa following an assassination attempt on a former Russian double agent in the UK, Moscow has accused.

“Being part of Chelsea is an honor for my life and I am proud of all of our collective achievements,” Abramovich said in a statement on the club’s offer to sell the club. Chelsea Football Club and its fans will always be in my heart.

Creator of pride

Abramovic is credited with being the Chelsea’s London player to win the English Premier League title only once before the Russian monarchy in 1955, and became a “blues” after Abramovich bought the club in 2003 after paying millions worth of contracts. Elsewhere, a Hero is the latest edition of the Champions League.

Chelsea won the Premier League title after Abramovich in 2005 and added four more titles to the “Premier League”, the last of which was in 2017.

The record for titles under Abramovich includes 18 titles in 19 years, including two European Champions League titles and a Club World Cup title, the last of which took place in Abu Dhabi last February.

Abramovich rarely speaks in public, but in an interview with Forbes last year he explained why he bought Chelsea in 2003 for 140 million.

“At the time, I was playing football, I watched the game better, I wanted to be one way or another,” Abramovich was quoted as saying by Forbes.

There is something else in the game that has caught the attention of the Russian millionaire. ”There is no set formula for success and many factors must be taken into account when approaching each match by the coach and his team. Playing once every few days is a challenge and it is a new test and evaluate the work you have done.

“I really enjoyed it, watching the unpredictability and how every game is played.”

Abramovich soon shared his excitement through conversations with his staff and advisers, and soon it grew into the idea of ​​owning a football club called Chelsea.

Chelsea are a historic club that did not change much of its ownership before it was sold to Abramovich. The purchase price was £ 140m, including £ 75m to pay off the debt, which was higher than anyone had ever paid to the Premier League at the time. Association.

Abramovich concludes his interview with Forbes as he reads his future: “Chelsea have a long history, the club was before me and it will be here after me.”