Roman Abramovich Thread

[gdlk 262]

The thing is that politics shloudnt mess in football! 

[Vesper 27,282]

1 hour ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Lol, somebody is having fun with the Saudi Media bid.

 

 

Trillionaire family linked with Chelsea has wealth that blows Man City's and Newcastle away

The net worth of potential new Chelsea backers blows the wealth of Premier League rivals Manchester City and Newcastle out of the water as Roman Abramovich looks to sell up

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/trillionaire-Chelsea-takeover-roman-abramovich-26466309

Chelsea could have the support of trillionaire backers should the Saudi Media Group be successful in their bid to buy the club from Roman Abramovich.

Stamford Bridge chiefs have had interest from hundreds of potential backers following the news that Abramovich had chosen to sell before being frozen out after Vladimir Putin's Ukraine invasion begun.

Having been linked to Todd Boehly and Nick Candy among others, the Saudi Media Group have put in a bid worth £2.7billion with Blues fan Mohamed Alkhereiji leading the pirate consortium.

Although Alkhereiji's net worth is said to be in the region of around £1.7bn, the bid is said to have the backing of Mohammed bin Khalid Al Saud.

CBS Sports report that Khalid Al Saud, who is a member of the House of Saud, has offered up his support.

The House of Saud are thought to have assets worth an astonishing £1.19trillion - which is far more than both Newcastle and Manchester City have at their disposal.

While City owners the Abu Dhabi Group alongside Sheikh Mansour are thought to have a net worth of around £9.2billion, Newcastle's Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia have around £500bn.

Edited March 14, 2022 by Vesper

[Vesper 27,282]

Prince Khalid bin Salman Visits Washington for High-Level Talks with Biden Administration; U.S. Talks with Saudi on Oil

https://www.sustg.com/prince-khaled-bin-salman-visits-washington-for-high-level-talks-with-biden-administration-u-s-talks-with-saudi-on-oil/

A Look at Khalid Bin Salman, Brother of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Ambassador to the US

https://www.abouther.com/node/12316/people/features/look-khalid-bin-salman-brother-saudi-arabia’s-crown-prince-and-ambassador

[robsblubot 3,205]

Roman Abramovich: New evidence highlights corrupt deals

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60736185

that's literally how the Russian oligarchs operated: using their government contacts to enrich. 

Edited March 14, 2022 by robsblubot

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

10 hours ago, cosmicway said:

Why ? So many deadwood matches.
My idea is to make the CL, Europa stage of 16 into a league.
But again the European conference cup is silly. 

To return to the CL format which featured a second group stage? I'd be in favour of that. Never wanted that to be changed in the first place.

To be fair there was much rejoicing when that change was made with people saying they preferred a return to the straight knockout format of the old Champions Cup but I said then, and since, that the European Champions Cup was a Micky Mouse tournament compared to the Champions League. The double group stage gave us more games between the big sides. I loved the one season that Chelsea competed in that format.

Edited March 14, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 27,282]

An avenging blue succubus tracks down another Manure troll squealing for Chelsea FC to be permanently disbanded by BoJo and the clown crew.

 

[cosmicway 1,247]

52 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

Roman Abramovich: New evidence highlights corrupt deals

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60736185

that's literally how the Russian oligarchs operated: using their government contacts to enrich. 

That stuff is from 30 years ago. It probably makes Abramovitch a thief (in Russia) but it is neither espionage nor warmongering.

[robsblubot 3,205]

33 minutes ago, cosmicway said:

That stuff is from 30 years ago. It probably makes Abramovitch a thief (in Russia) but it is neither espionage nor warmongering.

True, but it does not matter to me, nor does it surprise me. That's why I wrote that it's the literal definition of a Russian oligarch

Not speaking about you, but in general, I feel folks don't really get the value of having "connections" -- family, government, "upbringing"

[cosmicway 1,247]

8 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

True, but it does not matter to me, nor does it surprise me. That's why I wrote that it's the literal definition of a Russian oligarch

Not speaking about you, but in general, I feel folks don't really get the value of having "connections" -- family, government, "upbringing"

How does it work though ?
200 million instead of 2 billion ?
The one with 2 billion is obviously in a position to give better bribes than the one with the 200 million.
I 've seen some tricks but that much difference looks big.
 

Edited March 14, 2022 by cosmicway

[Superblue 6,331]

2 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

To return to the CL format which featured a second group stage? I'd be in favour of that. Never wanted that to be changed in the first place.

To be fair there was much rejoicing when that change was made with people saying they preferred a return to the straight knockout format of the old Champions Cup but I said then, and since, that the European Champions Cup was a Micky Mouse tournament compared to the Champions League. The double group stage gave us more games between the big sides. I loved the one season that Chelsea competed in that format.

I think it felt better at the time because it was our first foray into the Champions League setup and as a result it was just thoroughly enjoyable rubbing our shoulders with some big teams (nobody forgets Dennis running off Maldini in the San Siro to slot home).

I'm not sure how enjoyable we'd find it now, it would feel an incredible slog going through 2 rounds of groups I'd feel. Something surely has to give eventually within the club football calendar.

Having said that, that is a far better option than the abomination UEFA are concocting up moving forward with one big league where it appears you don't even play all the teams in it (for competitive fairness how does that even possibly work?!)

[cosmicway 1,247]

5 minutes ago, Superblue_1986 said:

I think it felt better at the time because it was our first foray into the Champions League setup and as a result it was just thoroughly enjoyable rubbing our shoulders with some big teams (nobody forgets Dennis running off Maldini in the San Siro to slot home).

I'm not sure how enjoyable we'd find it now, it would feel an incredible slog going through 2 rounds of groups I'd feel. Something surely has to give eventually within the club football calendar.

Having said that, that is a far better option than the abomination UEFA are concocting up moving forward with one big league where it appears you don't even play all the teams in it (for competitive fairness how does that even possibly work?!)

The supporters of the super league appear to have a problem with too many indifferent matches and they wanted to change the system and do that thing last year. It was a crazy scheme but if there is some logic in their position, the feasible alternative is fewer teams in the domestic leagues and mini leagues in the CL / Europa.
Thus in England we go from 20 to 16.
In Greece we have 14 teams plus some silly play offs nobody likes. We should have 14 or 16 teams and no playoffs.

[Superblue 6,331]

This is a much better piece from Martin Samuels and echoes a number of my own thoughts on some of the topics he brings up.

[Blues Forever 1,232]

 

[ChelseaFanUK 1,014]

33 minutes ago, Blues Forever said:

 

re. Candy, i cant see how that meeting is bid related because it all goes through Raine. Buck and Marina would be fuck all to do with it

 

More likely coincidence with him watching the game Sunday and/or to discuss the financial help he claimed

[Blues Forever 1,232]

 

[Vesper 27,282]

Kidnapping, theft and corruption: Damning revelations of Roman Abramovich probe in full

The details of Roman Abramovich's purchase of Russian state-owned companies at bargain sums have emerged as part of a BBC Panorama investigation into the Chelsea owner

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/roman-abramovich-Chelsea-wealth-russia-26466932

 

The murky source of Roman Abramovich 's vast fortune has been laid bare as part of an extensive investigation into the sanctioned Russian multi-billionaire.

Abramovich, 55, was placed on the UK's sanctioned individuals list last Thursday, resulting in the freezing of his assets and placing huge financial strain on Chelsea, the football club he has owned since 2003.

The oligarch has extensive links with Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in February in an act of aggression which led to backlash towards wealthy Russians living abroad under so-called 'golden visas'.

Abramovich, along with dozens of his compatriots, has seen his UK assets frozen, including a £150million London mansion and £30million three-storey penthouse.

President Putin's belligerence has led to a fresh wave of scrutiny over oligarchs potentially laundering their money in the UK.

The BBC launched a probe into the source of Abramovich's wealth four years ago through their Panorama programme, uncovering his substantial links to corruption, theft and alleged kidnapping.

Investigators gained access to a secret five-page document believed to have been smuggled out of Russia which claimed the Saratov native was detained in police custody on suspicion of stealing a trainload of diesel and selling it in 1992.

His lawyers told the BBC the incident was merely a misunderstanding, yet a Moscow police chief launched a warrant for his arrest only for the case to vanish without trace.

The probe then turned its attention to the mid-1990s, when Abramovich made inroads into the Russian energy industry thanks to a rigged auction and a government bribe.

The Chelsea owner planned to combine state-owned oil facilities in Serbia and buy them for a cut-price sum but, given his lack of political influence, needed to curry favour.

Boris Berezovsky, a fellow oligarch, is said to have suggested to Abramovich pay $10million (£7.7m) to a Kremlin official to obtain support. The intended target for the bribe was Alexander Korzhakov, a crony of then-president Boris Yeltsin.

Korzhakov denies there was a bribe but confirmed to the BBC that Berezovsky tried to buy his support.

Regardless of how the money exchanged hands, Abramovich's plan worked and he bought newly-created company Sibneft as part of a rigged auction.

The secret document seen by the BBC also asserts the money he used to purchase the company - which is now known as Gazprom - was borrowed from a bank after a government official deposited $137million (£105m) into an account.

Abramovich bought Sibneft for $250million (£190m) - roughly $2.7billion (£2.1bn) less than it was worth - and would later sell it back to the government for $13billion (£9.9bn) in 2005.

The document shows evidence the Department of Economic Crimes believed Abramovich could have faced charges of fraud for wresting control of Sibneft via the rigged auction.

Remarkably, Abramovich confirmed a number of the claims in the document during a London court case having been sued by Berezovsky once their relationship turned sour.

In the case he won in 2012, he spoke of the payment to the government official and the auction, with judge Lady Justice Gloster finding admissions of corruption, although there were no repercussions in the UK or Russia.

The document is believed to show that, at the time, Yeltsin acted to protect Abramovich by moving files from law enforcement authorities to the Kremlin.

He is also alleged to have stopped an investigation launched by Yuri Skuratov, then the prosecutor general of Russia who would later lose his job after his sex tape surfaced.

Panorama also drew attention to a document from the Spanish authorities which claimed Abramovich - who served as a regional governor under Putin for eight years - manages the president's 'private economic interests'.

This is something Abramovich's lawyers deny, while they also dismissed he was protected by Yeltsin or Putin.

In another dubious transaction in 2002, Abramovich bought oil and gas company Slavneft after there were allegations of a rival negotiator being kidnapped.

Chinese company CNPC was believed to be willing to pay twice as much as its competitors but a representative is said to have been abducted on their arrival at Moscow airport.

CNPC subsequently withdrew their interest and, again, Abramovich purchased the company for a bargain fee in what was described as a pre-arranged sale by Vladimir Milov, Russia's former deputy energy minister.

There is no suggestion Abramovich had any knowledge of the kidnapping and his lawyers insist it did not occur but independent sources confirmed to the BBC it took place.

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by Vesper

[Tricky Houseman 7]

Roman is now reported to be in Moscow. The optimist in me hopes that he is there to use whatever influence he has to try and talk some sense into the current regime about the futility of this awful war.

The cynic in me says he's gone there to nail his colours to Putin's mast

Edited March 15, 2022 by Tricky Houseman

[ZAPHOD2319 3,868]

2 minutes ago, Tricky Houseman said:

Roman is now reported to be in Moscow. The optimist in me hopes that he is there to use whatever influence he has to try and talk some sense into the current regime about the futility of this awful war.

The cynic in me says he's gone there to nail his colours to Putin's mast

After Israel gave him the hassle, it must feel awkward that Moscow is the safest place to be.