Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has officially taken the call to sell the club due to the ongoing unrest in Ukraine.
The Russian businessman has been the owner of the club since 2003 but the recent war in Ukraine has caused a massive uproar there have been voices raised against the Russian ownership of a British club.
From Monday, there had been whispers that Abramovich might be looking to sell the club and now he has confirmed this news by releasing an official statement.
Chelsea owe Roman Abramovich £1.5bn in the form of loan repayments but he has revealed that he will be writing off all the loans. He has also claimed that all the net proceeds from the sale of the sale will go to the victims of the war in Ukraine.
He wrote in his statement: “I would like to address the speculation in 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.
In a statement on the club website he said: “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"
— The Times (@thetimes) March 2, 2022
“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.
“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.
Roman Abramovich says Chelsea will be sold and he won't ask for the £1.5bn loan to be repaid. #CFC https://t.co/OE2VOE7fNu
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) March 2, 2022
“I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one 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 means it’s officially the end of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and as per the latest rumours billionaires, Hansjörg Wyss and Todd Boehly have formed a consortium who trying to buy the Premier League team.
Roman has been the one who has been the major driving force for Chelsea winning all these trophies in such a short period of time and with him gone, there’s a big chance that the new owners might look to take a totally different approach towards managing the London club.
