‘It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this club’: Roman Abramovich says emotional goodbye to Chelsea fans in a ‘proud’ statement hours after ‘final and definitive agreement’ is confirmed for Todd Boehly’s £4.25bn takeover
- Roman Abramovich has released a statement confirming his sale of Chelsea
- The Russian said it had been ‘an honour of a lifetime’ to be the Blues’ owner
- He also wished luck to buyer Todd Boehly, who has paid £4.25bn for the club
- Abramovich’s 19-year Stamford Bridge reign has been laden with silverware
Roman Abramovich has bid an emotional farewell to Chelsea fans in a statement ahead of the completion of the club’s takeover.
The Russian has agreed to sell the Premier League side for £4.25billion to a consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital.
Chelsea confirmed this morning that the deal would officially go through on Monday, bringing to an end their ownership saga that has run since Abramovich put the club up for sale on March 2.
Roman Abramovich has bid an emotional farewell to Chelsea supporters in a statement
Abramovich said it had been ‘an honour of a lifetime’ to be the club’s owner for the last 19 years, a period which has seen the Blues lift every trophy possible.
Since he bought the club in 2003, they have won five Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, two Europa Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Club World Cup.
He also wished ‘the best of success’ to his successor Boehly, who attended Chelsea’s last three home matches of the season.
‘It has been nearly three months since I announced my intention to sell Chelsea FC,’ Abramovich said. ‘During this time, the team have worked hard to find the right custodian for Chelsea FC that would be best positioned to successfully lead the Club into its next chapter.
‘The ownership of this Club comes with great responsibility. Since I came to Chelsea nearly twenty years ago, I have witnessed first-hand what this Club can achieve. My goal has been to ensure that the next owner has a mindset that will enable success for the Men’s and Women’s team, as well as the will and drive to continue developing other key aspects of the Club, such as the Academy and the vital work of Chelsea Foundation.
A consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly have bought the club for £4.25billion
‘I am pleased this search has now come to a successful conclusion. As I hand over Chelsea to its new custodians, I would like to wish them the best of success, both on and off the pitch.
‘It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this Club – I would like to thank all the Club’s past and current players, staff, and of course fans for these incredible years.
‘I am proud that as a result of our joint successes, millions of people will now benefit from the new charitable foundation which is being established. This is the legacy which we have created together. Thank you, Roman.’
Abramovich is selling the club in the wake of strict financial sanctions on him from the UK government, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich’s Chelsea reign was laden with trophies, including two Champions League crowns
Downing Street stated the 55-year-old has ties to the country’s president Vladimir Putin, and subsequently froze all of his assets, including Chelsea.
The sanctions state Abramovich cannot make any direct or indirect financial gain from the sale, with the Russian previously confirming that net proceeds would be donated to victims of the war in Ukraine.
The last two months have seen several parties register their interest in buying the club and submit bids, with Todd Boehly’s consortium fighting off competition from groups fronted by Stephen Pagliuca and Sir Martin Broughton among others.
Other figures involved in the American’s takeover include Swiss-born entrepreneur Hansjorg Wyss and British property tycoon Jonathan Goldstein.