Roman Abramovich has given trustees of the Chelsea Foundation “the responsibility and care for Chelsea FC” with immediate effect. But what does that mean? His statement leaves some questions unanswered. A classification.
Chelsea FC released a statement from its longtime club boss Roman Abramovich on Saturday evening. In it, the Russian oligarch announced that he was withdrawing from the club’s operative business – at least for the time being.
Abramovich’s statement read: “Throughout my almost 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always seen my role as the guardian of the club whose job is to ensure we are as successful as we can be today and for them too Be prepared for the future while also playing a positive role in society.”
“I have always made decisions in the best interest of the club. I remain committed to those values. That is why today I am delegating the responsibility and care of Chelsea FC to trustees of the Chelsea Foundation.”
“I believe they are in the best position to look after the interests of the club, the players, the staff and the fans at the moment.”
Who is in charge at Chelsea now?
“Basically not much has changed,” says Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea correspondent for GOAL. Board member Marina Granovskaia continues to lead the fortunes of the football department together with ex-keeper Petr Cech. The rest of the board, chaired by Bruce Buck and directors Guy Laurence and Eugene Tenenbaum, make decisions in other areas.
“The trustees will step in and resolve any issues that owner Roman Abramovich would normally resolve,” Kinsella explains.
What are the reasons for Abramovich’s withdrawal?
In his statement, Abramovich made no mention of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. But the British Parliament recently also discussed sanctions for Russian companies and oligarchs. It has already been proposed in Parliament to freeze Abramovich’s accounts and confiscate properties including Chelsea.
With his retirement, he is now trying to distance himself from Chelsea. “It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to end the club’s association with Abramovich in the eyes of the UK government, which could impose sanctions against the club’s owner in the event of a further escalation of violence by Russian President Vladimir Putin Kinsella.
Is Abramovich history at Chelsea?
Abramovich remains the owner of the club despite his retirement from operations. In his statement, Abramovich leaves open whether his withdrawal is permanent or temporary.
As the BBC reported, the club is currently not for sale. In addition, the loan of 1.5 billion pounds (around 1.8 billion euros) that Abramovich granted the club will not be collected.
The 55-year-old’s total wealth is estimated at £8.4 billion. He has owned Chelsea since 2003, with whom he won the Champions League in 2012 and 2021.
What are the financial consequences for Chelsea FC?
It’s difficult to foresee at the moment. If the British government does confiscate Abramovich’s assets, Chelsea will be included. The extent to which this then affects the club’s financing depends on the duration of the sanctions or the duration of the conflict in Ukraine.
What does Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel say?
The Abramovich debate and the invasion of Ukraine recently overshadowed Tuchel’s preparation for the final in the League Cup against Liverpool on Sunday (5:30 p.m. in LIVETICKER).
“We shouldn’t pretend that this isn’t an issue. The situation for me and my staff, the players is terrible,” said Tuchel before Abramovich’s statement. It brings a lot of “uncertainty” for the club,” added Tuchel, “but it’s much worse for the people who are really affected. Our best wishes, our thoughts are with them, that’s the most important thing”.
Tuchel had not previously gone into the situation at Stamford Bridge in more detail: “There are so many uncertainties surrounding our club and the situation in Great Britain that it makes no sense for me to comment on it.” However, he conceded that the overall situation masked “our thoughts” and “anticipation for the final”.
