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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich makes massive statement

By Gabe Henderson

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 12: Thomas Tuchel the manager / head coach of Chelsea and Roman Abrahimovic owner of Chelsea during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Final match between Chelsea v Palmeiras at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on February 12, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 12: Thomas Tuchel the manager / head coach of Chelsea and Roman Abrahimovic owner of Chelsea during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Final match between Chelsea v Palmeiras at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on February 12, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 03: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on as Chelsea win the Premier League title after the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on May 3, 2015 in London, England. Chelsea became champions with a 1-0 victory. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 03: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on as Chelsea win the Premier League title after the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on May 3, 2015 in London, England. Chelsea became champions with a 1-0 victory. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

1. Why did Roman Abramovich ultimately make this decision?

Before understanding why Abramovich made the decision, it’s important to understand the situation as a whole and why Abramovich is in the position he’s in right now. Long story short, the 55-year-old is caught between a rock and a hard place at this moment in time due to his allegiances to his birth nation, his friends and his club.

For those who do not know about Abramovich’s life outside of Chelsea, he is a Russian oligarch. The billionaire has a close personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin that dates back to the 1990s. The colleague of former Soviet leader Boris Yeltsin dabbled in politics during the early 2000s. In addition to his business ventures—which notably include investment firms and steel companies, amongst other things—Abramovich served as the Governor of Chukotka (a region in east Russia) from 2001 to ’08. His relationship as a friend and confidant of Putin makes him one of the most powerful men in the world, as does his vast wealth. Abramovich is valued at $13.4 billion (£9.99 billion) by Forbes. Unfortunately, his proximity to the Russian leader also makes him subject to possible sanctions during Russia’s aggressive advances against Ukraine.

It is widely believed that Chelsea would be safe from any possible sanctions imposed on Abramovich. However, the long-time owner is taking no chances. He has handed all day-to-day responsibilities and stewardship of the club over to the Blues’ Charitable Foundation, which is just a fancy way of saying that Abramovich is distancing himself at this time. It’s an unselfish action made by a man who truly cares about the club and seemingly puts its well-being above all else.

The owner’s decision to step back until further notice alleviates some of the pressure on Chelsea. While putting the Blues back into the news by announcing this the day before a final is not exactly opportune, it was necessary. The team is set to take the pitch in a number of hours, the constant distraction is the last thing the players needed, especially if plans to stand in solidarity with Ukraine pre-match are still on, but more on that later.

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