Roman Abramovich Thread

[OhForAGreavsie 6,057]

This was one of the results when I searched YouTube for Emma Hayes's post-game thoughts from yesterday's CFCW win over Aston Villa. I'm glad there is some sense somewhere amid all the madness.

I stand against war. I stand against any attempt to redraw national boundaries by force of arms. I stand against the targeting of civilians in pursuit of military objectives. I stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I stand against anyone who does not also stand against this invasion. I will condemn Roman Abramovich when, and only when, I see evidence of his culpability or complicity with the things we all stand against.

Edited March 14, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 30,085]

2 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

This was one of the results when I searched YouTube for Emma Hayes's post-game thoughts from yesterday's CFCW win over Aston Villa. I'm glad there is some sense somewhere amid all the madness.

I stand against war. I stand against any attempt to redraw national boundaries by force of arms. I stand against the targeting of civilians in pursuit of military objectives. I stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I stand against anyone who does not also stand against this invasion. I will condemn Roman Abramovich when, and only when, I see evidence of his culpability or complicity with the things we all stand against.

Roman Abramovich settles case over defamatory claims Putin ordered him to buy Chelsea

Russian oligarch took a libel case against author Catherine Belton and HarperCollins

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/roman-abramovich-settles-case-over-defamatory-claims-putin-ordered-him-to-buy-Chelsea-1.4761986

The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has settled his libel claim against the journalist Catherine Belton over her bestselling book Putin’s People, after an agreement was reached late on Tuesday.

The text will now recognise that the allegation Abramovich bought Chelsea football club at the Russian president’s behest is not a statement of fact. It will include additional denials from the oligarch’s spokesperson and the club.

It will also correct a claim that the late oligarch Boris Berezovsky co-owned the Russian oil company Sibneft with Abramovich. The amendment follows a 2011-12 high court legal battle between the two men, which Abramovich won. The book’s publisher, HarperCollins, has agreed to make a payment to charity “in recognition of this error”, it said.

Abramovich sued over a number of claims, including that he bought Chelsea on Vladimir Putin’s orders. He was one of three Russian tycoons who initiated libel proceedings against Belton and HarperCollins, together with the Russian state oil company Rosneft.

The other defendants subsequently settled or withdrew their claims. Abramovich ended his case after HarperCollins said on Wednesday some information concerning the oligarch was inaccurate. It agreed to make revisions to the book, widely acclaimed as the definitive work on the Putin era.

HarperCollins hailed the overnight settlement as a fair agreement. There are no damages being paid to Abramovich himself. Both sides will pay their own costs. Had the libel trial gone ahead in the high court next year the legal bill was likely to have exceeded £10m, it is understood.

The publisher said: “While the book always included a denial that Mr Abramovich was acting under anybody’s direction when he purchased Chelsea, the new edition will include a more detailed explanation of Mr Abramovich’s motivations for buying the club.

“HarperCollins has also made clear in the book that there is no evidence, beyond the statements of the individuals themselves, supporting claims made to the author by [the former Kremlin insider] Sergei Pugachev and two other unnamed individuals about the purchase of Chelsea Football Club.”

HarperCollins acknowledged that a high court judge described Berezovsky as an “inherently unreliable witness”. It added: “HarperCollins and the author apologise that these aspects of the book were not as clear as they would have liked them to have been and are happy to have now clarified the text.”

Despite the revisions, the agreement is being seen overall as a victory for Belton, who has come under unprecedented legal assault from billionaires with Kremlin ties. Abramovich served for eight years as governor of Chukotka, a region in Russia’s far east. He has consistently denied being under the Russian government’s control.

In a statement, she said “this last year has felt like a war of attrition” in which she had been “bombarded with lawsuits” from four Russian billionaires and Rosneft.

Belton added: “Though the claimants have denied it was coordinated, it has seemed to me similar to the Kremlin’s multi-pronged campaign against Ukraine in which it has sought to exhaust the west into making security concessions over Nato’s expansion.”

She continued: “Throughout, HarperCollins has staunchly defended the book. I could not have wished for a better or braver publisher more committed to public interest journalism.”

Campaigners have described the case against Belton as an abuse of the UK’s libel system. Abramovich sued the former Financial Times journalist personally as well as her publisher.

The settlement was made following an approach by Abramovich, it is understood. HarperCollins said Belton had always been willing to include the oligarch’s comments on the allegations, and recognised that books on controversial contemporary themes needed updating as new information emerged.

At a preliminary hearing in November, Mrs Justice Tipples ruled that several passages in the book that Abramovich said conveyed untrue statements about him were potentially defamatory of him.

One such claim was the suggestion that Abramovich was “under the control of Putin” and that the oligarch was obliged “to make the fortune from his business empire available for the use of President Putin and his regime”, Tipples wrote, in a 34-page ruling. But she ruled three out of four sections complained of by Rosneft were not defamatory, with the oil firm subsequently shelving its case.

Tipples emphasised that the court was only, at that point, adjudicating on meaning. It was not deciding whether the allegations made about Abramovich or anyone else were true or false. Following Wednesday’s settlement the claims will not be tested in court.

At the initial hearing, Abramovich’s lawyer said the book repeated “lazy inaccuracies about Abramovich’s role in various events” and made false and damaging statements about him which were “completely without foundation”.

Belton spent seven years writing Putin’s People and was based in Moscow as the bureau chief for the FT. Last month, she was named the 2021 outstanding investigative journalist in awards named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian anti-corruption lawyer who died in jail. – Guardian

[Duppy Conqueror 1,526]

Roman saw what was coming,remember he was being targetted long before Putin sent in others to die for what he wants.

i’m more pissed off with how he and us are being targetted than the fact Roman is no longer going to be our owner. Although eternally grateful to Roman,there’s some aspects of his ownership that has shot us in the foot many times.we’ve won more than anyone would have expected.in my childhood the limit of my Chelsea dreams was maybe one day i’d see us win one FA cup.we’ve had some truly great coaches that should have had more time and with having Tuchel who really is someone i want long term,not having the over impulsive Roman as his boss now is in some ways a relief.Roman leaving does leave a bitter taste the way it’s happening but in the long run it could be a blessing in disguise.

we probably best getting an American billionaire to be our new owner..Saudi owners too risky now..Candy seems like someone whose heart is in the right place but doesnt appear to have enough money to keep us competitive on the top table. Liverpool and Arsenal have American owners that give their managers time and whilst not Roman’s level of financial backing,enough to get the job done.

[Vesper 30,085]

Roman Abramovich: Rabbi investigated over Portuguese citizenship

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60724509

A rabbi who helped Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich obtain his Portuguese citizenship has been told he cannot leave Portugal and must present himself to authorities when required.

Daniel Litvak was detained on Thursday as part of an investigation into how citizenship had been granted.

The naturalisation process of several Jewish people is being investigated.

On Friday, Mr Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Abramovich, 55, is the owner of Chelsea FC and he is one of seven oligarchs to be hit with fresh sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans.

Mr Abramovich was granted Portuguese citizenship in April 2021 under a law that offered naturalisation to descendants of Sephardic Jews, who were expelled from the Iberian peninsula more than 400 years ago during the Inquisition.

Applicants for Portuguese citizenship via this route are assessed by experts at one of Portugal's Jewish communities in either Lisbon or Porto. Mr Litvak is the rabbi for the community in Porto (northern Portugal) and was responsible for assessing Mr Abramovich's application.

Mr Litvak was detained by authorities as he was preparing to travel to Israel. He was asked to hand over his passport and will have to periodically present himself to authorities.

Portugal's Judicial Police and public prosecutor said on Friday that there were suspicions of money laundering, corruption, fraud and falsification of documents in the process of of granting citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews.

Porto's Jewish community has denied any wrongdoing and said it was the target of a smear campaign. They added that Mr Litvak oversaw the department that grants certification of an individual's Sephardic Jewish heritage and the criteria used for granting someone Portuguese nationality had "been accepted by successive governments".

 

[OhForAGreavsie 6,057]

30 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Roman Abramovich: Rabbi investigated over Portuguese citizenship

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60724509

A rabbi who helped Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich obtain his Portuguese citizenship has been told he cannot leave Portugal and must present himself to authorities when required.

Daniel Litvak was detained on Thursday as part of an investigation into how citizenship had been granted.

The naturalisation process of several Jewish people is being investigated.

On Friday, Mr Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Abramovich, 55, is the owner of Chelsea FC and he is one of seven oligarchs to be hit with fresh sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans.

Mr Abramovich was granted Portuguese citizenship in April 2021 under a law that offered naturalisation to descendants of Sephardic Jews, who were expelled from the Iberian peninsula more than 400 years ago during the Inquisition.

Applicants for Portuguese citizenship via this route are assessed by experts at one of Portugal's Jewish communities in either Lisbon or Porto. Mr Litvak is the rabbi for the community in Porto (northern Portugal) and was responsible for assessing Mr Abramovich's application.

Mr Litvak was detained by authorities as he was preparing to travel to Israel. He was asked to hand over his passport and will have to periodically present himself to authorities.

Portugal's Judicial Police and public prosecutor said on Friday that there were suspicions of money laundering, corruption, fraud and falsification of documents in the process of of granting citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews.

Porto's Jewish community has denied any wrongdoing and said it was the target of a smear campaign. They added that Mr Litvak oversaw the department that grants certification of an individual's Sephardic Jewish heritage and the criteria used for granting someone Portuguese nationality had "been accepted by successive governments".

 

Presumably there will be an investigation and the findings will be made public then we can decide what to make of this. Assuming of course that investigation is not itself acqused of having been corrupted. 

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

9 hours ago, Tomo said:

I hope not, as a fan base we're far too emotionally driven as we saw with both Lampard and Jose's sackings.

If the fans had a serious say from 2003 onwards Ranieri would still be here.

Ours would not be a final say but a contributory voice. Without fan involvement we would not have the CPO and SB would be a block of flats

[Superblue 6,372]

9 hours ago, Tomo said:

I hope not, as a fan base we're far too emotionally driven as we saw with both Lampard and Jose's sackings.

If the fans had a serious say from 2003 onwards Ranieri would still be here.

I think it would be more based on off-pitch matters and decision making as has been mentioned in these independent reviews following the Super League debacle.

The whole point I believe is to create greater transparency within board rooms, but I wouldn't expect them to have influence over on-pitch matters such as transfers and managerial appointments or dismissals.

[Pizy 18,850]

I know this kind of seismic deal take a while to be settled but it feels from the outside like things have ground to a halt. We really need this cloud over everyone at the club lifted ASAP. I was optimistic after Roman first announced he was selling when reporters said it could happen within days, but now it seems there’s no end in sight.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,057]

10 hours ago, Tomo said:

If the fans had a serious say from 2003 onwards Ranieri would still be here.

Not this fan. 😒

[OhForAGreavsie 6,057]

6 hours ago, Vesper said:

fuck Martin Samuel

Thank you for this long, detailed and entirely accurate summary of the situation. 🙂

When I've heard ex footballers parroting nonsense on this subject I've been able to calm myself down by remembering that they are idiots. What is Samuel's excuse?

[Superblue 6,372]

23 minutes ago, Pizy said:

I know this kind of seismic deal take a while to be settled but it feels from the outside like things have ground to a halt. We really need this cloud over everyone at the club lifted ASAP. I was optimistic after Roman first announced he was selling when reporters said it could happen within days, but now it seems there’s no end in sight.

It's already been confirmed by numerous sources (and Nick Candy also confirmed on TV before the game yesterday) that the deadline for final bids is this Friday so I would expect there to be some developments fairly soon after this, probably next week and during the international break which will hopefully also give us a bit of time to get things in order. 

Hopefully once a sale is confirmed going through, there may also be more easing of these ridiculous sanctions currently in place on the club too, so at least if it takes a few weeks we will hopefully still be in a position to carry on as normal as possible.

[cosmicway 1,333]

7 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I'd be strongly against that idea. 18 would be my baseline minimum but I'd vote for 20 before I'd vote for 16.

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. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,375]

Saudi Media Group lodge £2.7bn offer 

[Fernando 6,585]

Crazy, I wonder if UK will allow us to get bought by another Saudi organization. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,375]

6 minutes ago, Fernando said:

Crazy, I wonder if UK will allow us to get bought by another Saudi organization. 

Chelsea have discouraged "politically sensitive" parties from bidding for the club but Saudi Media does not believe it falls into that category.

Unlike Newcastle United – who are now owned by the Saudi Arabian state via the Public Investment Fund – Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, Saudi Media is an entirely private entity with no direct ties to a particular ruler or government.

 

https://www.goal.com/en-my/news/saudi-media-Chelsea-takeover-bid-keep-rudiger-rebuild/blt3867c8c4c58996a9