Chelsea were one of the first clubs to pull out of the European Super League and this decision came just a few hours after fans had gathered outside the stadium to protest their club’s inclusion in the breakaway league.
The official statement from the club read: “As reported earlier this evening, Chelsea Football Club can confirm that it has begun the formal procedures for withdrawal from the group developing plans for a European Super League.
Having joined the group late last week, we have now had time to consider the matter fully and have decided that our continued participation in these plans would not be in the best interests of the Club, our supporters or the wider football community.”
Now, according to The Mirror, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is not particularly happy with how things have panned out in the past three days and the billionaire feels his reputation will take a serious dent thanks to this fiasco.
The report reads: “Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been left “furious” at how the Super League saga played out as he fears for the damage to his reputation.
“The Blues were one of six Premier League sides to sign up to the controversial breakaway competition. It quickly became apparent that the move was immensely unpopular as authorities within football spoke out against it.
“The decision to back out of the Super League had already been made before fans gathered in west London.
Petr Cech pleading with Chelsea fans to let the team bus in. pic.twitter.com/BzPtUU7JC9
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 20, 2021
“Abramovich had trusted Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck’s judgement that joining the European Super League was in the club’s best long-term interest. But the Russian billionaire is now “furious” as he felt “blindsided” by supporters’ true feelings about the competition amid concerns for his legacy and reputation.”
Chelsea surely did not waste any time in making a u-turn to move out of the Super League and this swift decision will have done minimal damage to Abramovich reputation at the club.
The Blues owner has been praised for pumping serious amounts of money into the club over the past one-and-a-half decades and despite this small hiccup, we are sure the fans will stand behind Roman Abramovich in the coming years as well.
