Importance Score: 42 / 100 🔵
Roman Abramovich will discuss his forced sale of Chelsea for the first time in a new book set to be released in the summer. The Russian former Blues owner has given his first set of interviews since speaking to Forbes in 2021.
Abramovich remains sanctioned by the UK government over alleged ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. He was initially sanctioned by Boris Johnson’s Conservative government following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The 58-year-old’s assets were frozen and he was forced to sell Premier League club Chelsea, a process that was completed when the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium purchased the Blues in May that year.
Two sets of interviews have taken place with Abramovich about the sale. One took place in Abu Dhabi in January and another was conducted in Istanbul, where he spends much of his time, a year earlier.
The two-part interview is said to include Abramovich’s account of the sale, his sanctions, his efforts in the previous peace process, and his suspected poisoning in March 2022. His words will feature in a new book, Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC, written by Nick Purewall. The book will tell other tales of the 95-day search for a buyer, which was conducted by Raine Bank under the supervision of the government.
Abramovich has not conducted an interview since he spoke to Forbes in 2021. Aside from brief statements about Frank Lampard’s sacking as Chelsea manager and the club’s ‘Say No to Anti-Semitism’ campaign, he had not given an official interview since 2006.
Chelsea enjoyed the most successful period in their history during Abramovich’s 19-year reign, having been purchased by the oligarch and former politician in 2003. Among the 21 major titles the club won during that time were five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two Champions League and two Europa Leagues.
Abramovich spent more than £2billion on player transfers and a further £90million on hiring and firing 13 different managers, with Jose Mourinho enjoying two spells as head coach.
Abramovich’s successors have spent over £1bn on transfers, although their net spend in the market is only slightly above £300m. Chelsea are yet to win a major trophy since Abramovich’s departure.
Despite claims that the £2.5bn the new consortium, now known as BlueCo, spent on buying Chelsea from the government would go towards humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, the money remains frozen in a UK bank account. In March, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson told Sky Sports: “This government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible.
“The proceeds are currently frozen in a UK bank account while a new independent foundation is established to manage and distribute the money. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich’s representatives, experts and international partners, and we will double down on our efforts to reach a resolution.”