Roman Abramovich Thread

[Fulham Broadway 17,512]

1 hour ago, Vytis33 said:

Ripped the club away for nothing then?  

 

 

It was knee jerk reaction. Cost us stability and trophies.

[Vesper 30,589]

The Untold Story Of The Lie That Ended Roman Abramovich Chelsea Era

 

[Vesper 30,589]

Roman Abramovich finally breaks silence on controversial Chelsea sale

Roman Abramovich has not spoken publicly since he gave an interview to Forbes in 2021 and has broken his silence on the sale of Chelsea for a forthcoming book

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/roman-abramovich-Chelsea-sale-russia-35101826

Roman Abramovich has discussed his forced sale of Chelsea for the first time. The Russian, former-owner of the Blues, who led the club to its most trophy-laden period in its history, has given his first series of interviews since he last spoke to Forbes in 2021, for a new book due out this summer.

Abramovich continues to be sanctioned by the UK government due to alleged connections with Russian president Vladimir Putin. He was initially hit with sanctions 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 the Premier League club. This process concluded when the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium acquired the Blues in May 2022.

Abramovich has conducted two interviews regarding the sale. One took place in Abu Dhabi in January and the other in Istanbul, where Abramovich spends much of his time, a year previously.

The two-part interview is due to cover Abramovich's perspective on the sale, his sanctions, his involvement in the previous peace process, and his suspected poisoning in March 2022.

READ MORE: Where is Roman Abramovich now? Ex-Chelsea owner's secret life in Turkey and Tel Aviv

His comments will be included in a new book titled Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC, penned by Nick Purewall. The book will also recount other stories from the 95-day hunt for a buyer, overseen by Raine Bank under the watchful eye of the government.

Abramovich has remained tight-lipped since his last interview with Forbes in 2021.

Apart from a few brief comments on Frank Lampard's dismissal as Chelsea manager and the club's 'Say No to Anti-Semitism' initiative, he hasn't given an official interview since 2006.

According to former player John Obi Mikel, Abramovich still harbours resentment over the fact that he was forced into selling.

Mikel said: “It’s just unfortunate what happened: he lost the football club. I still speak to people close to him and it still pains him. He’s still angry about what happened.

“He’s not happy that he lost his ‘baby’ because Chelsea Football Club was his football club. He really cared about the football club, not just the players but the fans.”

Abramovich's 19-year stewardship of the club began when the oligarch and ex-politician bought the club in 2003. The Blues amassed a staggering 21 major titles during this period, including five Premier League trophies, five FA Cups, two Champions League titles, and two Europa Leagues.

[Vesper 30,589]

Rachel Reeves threatens to sue Roman Abramovich over Chelsea FC sale proceeds

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rachel-reeves-threatens-sue-roman-213900093.html

The chancellor and foreign secretary are threatening to take Roman Abramovich to court to seize the proceeds of his Chelsea FC sale.

The Russian oligarch, who is sanctioned by the UK government over his alleged links to Vladimir Putin, sold Chelsea for £2.5bn to an American consortium in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Those funds remain in a frozen UK bank account but are meant to be used for humanitarian causes linked to the Ukraine war.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy have now said they are "deeply frustrated" an agreement cannot be reached with the oligarch and will take him to court if it cannot be dealt with soon.

In a joint statement, they said: "The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion.

"We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.

"While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible."

Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea - which he bought for a reported £140m - after 19 years of ownership, after being sanctioned by the government over his alleged close ties to the Russian president - something he denies.

The sale was made under the supervision of the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, under the proviso the proceeds go to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

They cannot be moved or used without a licence from the office.

In March, the Foreign Office said officials were in talks with Abramovich's representatives, but multiple sources told the BBC there had been no meetings between any Labour ministers and members of the foundation set up to oversee the funds since last July's general election.

They said there was a deadlock and a political decision by a minister is needed to negotiate and sign off an agreement.

It is not known if there has been meetings in the three months since then.

The £2.5bn - and interest accrued - would make up for some of the reduction in the aid budget, announced in February.

[OneMoSalah 8,965]

How can they sue Abramovich? Is he not stalling because those government retards have moved the goalposts and its all to do with wording and licensing? Or are they that stupid?

That wanker Starmer is also trying to save face after cutting the aid funding and putting it into defence a few months back for sure…. Ironically Trump cut off US funding to Ukraine few month ago too?

This will go on for years and years yet if they think they are gonna take Roman to court. Has any form of government ever taken a multi billionaire to court and won? The initial case itself was incredible 😂

Edited June 2 by OneMoSalah

[Special Juan 28,369]

Just the British Government punishing the people who have done nothing wrong, they have done it with the tax payer for years and give to the drug addicts, asylum seekers and dregs on society, nothing to see here

[OneMoSalah 8,965]

3 hours ago, Special Juan said:

Just the British Government punishing the people who have done nothing wrong, they have done it with the tax payer for years and give to the drug addicts, asylum seekers and dregs on society, nothing to see here

Genuinely reckon the amount of time and money they will waste trying taking someone like Roman to court will be incredible. I wouldn’t be surprised if he also won in Court because the government are so so so incompetent 😂

[ahmedou 212]

This is for you Roman 💙

[NikkiCFC 8,471]

Linked to Galatasaray. 

[Blue Armour 4,580]

On 21/10/2025 at 21:50, NikkiCFC said:

Linked to Galatasaray. 

Would be surprised.

Especially after all those quotes of him saying that he has been involved long enough as a football club owner 'for this lifetime'

[NikkiCFC 8,471]

 

[Vesper 30,589]

Roman Abramovich defies PM and clings on to £2.5bn for Ukraine

Keir Starmer had told the Russian oligarch the ‘clock is ticking’ over proceeds from his sale of Chelsea Football Club that were promised to Ukraine war victims

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/starmer-threatens-to-seize-25bn-from-abramovich-after-Chelsea-sale-nn97gcfzl

Roman Abramovich will defy Sir Keir Starmer’s order to hand over £2.5 billion of his assets to help Ukraine.

The Russian businessman, who is subject to UK sanctions, believes he has a watertight legal case to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club will be donated on his terms.

The prime minister threatened ­on Wednesday to seize the money but sources close to Abramovich insisted it was the government that needed to abide by an agreement that was made when the club was sold in May 2022.

President Zelensky is due to meet European leaders in Brussels on Thursday in an effort to secure frozen Russian assets worth €210 billion for the defence of Ukraine, despite US pressure against the move.

Washington is warning privately that it will demand “the money back” if the European Union and Britain try to take it. “The Europeans are going to have to give it back,” said a source close to internal US discussions on reclaiming the Russian funds.

President Putin described European leaders as “little pigs” in a vitriolic speech in which he also said Russia would use any means necessary to capture the territory in Ukraine it claims as its own.

 

Politico reported that the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund is ­expected to meet the US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami for talks at the weekend.

• Roman Abramovich accuses government of ‘paralysing’ billions for war victims

Starmer said the Treasury had issued a licence that permits the transfer of the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea into a new humanitarian foundation for Ukraine. Abramovich believes the money should be used to help victims on both sides of the war. Starmer said: “My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking. Honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don’t, we’re prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin’s illegal warfare.”

Chelsea was sold after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. A consortium led by Todd Boehly, an American businessman, and Clearlake Capital bought the club for £2.5 billion.

 

It is understood that Abramovich has received a letter from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, giving him a deadline of March 17 to donate the funds, although it does not mention possible court action.

• Fears Ukraine war victims will get less than half of £2.35bn Chelsea sale

Sources close to the Russian insist nothing has changed because under the licence issued in 2022 and the legal ­undertaking he gave at the time, the £2.5 billion had to go to a charitable foundation run by the former Unicef executive Mike Penrose and to help all victims of the war. The government has insisted the money has to be used on charitable projects in Ukraine.

Some £2.35 billion is frozen in the bank account of Abramovich’s company Fordstam. However, latest company ­accounts show £1.429 billion of that is owed to Camberley International ­Investments, a Jersey-registered company owned by Abramovich.

The accounts state “the net proceeds of sale, after allowing for other balance sheet items” would be given to a charitable foundation.

The Camberley money is part of £5.3 billion of Abramovich’s cash that has been frozen by the Jersey courts since 2022 and is the subject of a complicated legal case there. Abramovich’s representatives say the £1.429 billion cannot be released to the charitable foundation until that legal action is dropped by the Jersey government.

Stephen Doughty, the Foreign Office minister overseeing the case, said: “We are very confident … about what was agreed and what needs to be done and it is for him now to fulfil that. If he doesn’t, we will set up a foundation and we will take the necessary steps.”

Doughty said that due to interest the sum in Fordstam’s account had risen from £2.35 billion to £2.5 billion.

He added: “Jersey is a crown dependency and subject to sanctions regimes in the same way as the United Kingdom and we’re very confident about the position that we’ve taken.”