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Roman Abramovich sells Chelsea
The Russian Roman Abramovich announced on Wednesday that the English soccer club Chelsea will be sold and will request that any loan he has made to the London team in recent years not be canceled.
The 55-year-old Russian tycoon bought the club in 2003 for an amount of around 100 million euros and since then he has made Chelsea one of the top teams in Europe and the world.
With Abramovich's leadership, Chelsea won 18 titles, including the two Champions League won by the team.
Abramovich has announced that all the economic benefit from the sale of the club will go to those affected by the war in Ukraine.
This announcement, made through an official club statement, comes after Hansjorg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire, assured on Wednesday that he had received an official proposal to buy the team.
Wyss, is 86 years old and is the founder of the medical supplies company Synthes. At the same time, it has been published in different sports media that this same proposal was presented to three more people.
In the midst of the strong economic restrictions that the entire international community is imposing on Russian businessmen, as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich confirmed the departure of the club he has owned since 2003.
In a statement, Abramovich assures that he is willing to respond to all the speculation that is circulating regarding Chelsea.
The Russian tycoon assures that this decision, and all his decisions, are made for the good of the club. In addition, he points out that the sale will not be immediate.
Likewise, Abramovich assured that he will not request the payment of the loans he made to Chelsea, which are around 1,500 million pounds.
This official announcement comes after Abramovich, five days ago, ensured that Chelsea would remain under the direction of his foundation.
Abramovich has stressed that his time at the club was never about money, but about "love for the sport and for Chelsea".
The businessman entered an application to develop a charity, where all the proceeds from the sale will go to those affected by the war in Ukraine.
This charity would include sending urgent funds immediately and also providing for victims in need of long-term recovery.
To conclude, Abramovich assures that it has been one of the most difficult decisions of his life and expresses the sadness of having had to make it.
“I hope to be able to return to Stamford Bridge one last time so I can say goodbye to all of you. It has been a privilege to be part of Chelsea and I am very proud of everything we have achieved.”
