Roman Abramovich has bowed to growing pressure to call time on his ownership at Chelsea by confirming the club are up for sale.
ESPN reported earlier on Wednesday, that the 55-year-old was willing to listen to offers for the club, and Abramovich confirmed the plans in a statement released on the club’s website.
“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,” the statement read in part.
Abromovich’s association with one of England’s largest clubs has been scrutinised in the wake of compatriot Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last week. He has ties with the 69-year-old and European Parliament president Roberta Metsola declared he and his fellow oligarchs should not be able to hide behind a veneer of responsibility by owning sports clubs and other foreign assets. Amid this mounting pressure, the Chelsea supremo has decided to sell up and he is demanding £4billion for the club. He added that net proceeds from the sale of Chelsea will be donated to a foundation “for the benefit of all victims of the w@r” in Ukraine.
The Russian oligarch bought the Blues in 2003 and has led them to the most successful spell in their history, winning five premier league titles and the champions league twice.?: GettyImages
