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.
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.
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