Roman Abramovich will not sell Chelsea despite revealing the ‘stewardship’ of the Premier League club had been passed on, according to reports. In a ground-breaking statement on Saturday, the usually silent Abramovich made a key change to how Chelsea will be run.
The billionaire, who is an alleged associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced that the stewardship of the west Londoners will be passed to trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation.
A statement read: “During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities.
“I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values.
“That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.
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“I believe that currently, they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.”
The statement caused some confusion, with some Chelsea fans concerned that it appeared Abramovich will sell the club.
However, the 55-year-old is not going to find a potential buyer for the Stamford Bridge outfit, according to Sky Sports.
Abramovich is apparently ‘adamant’ that the club is not for sale.
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The move instead appears to have been made to protect Chelsea from the strong media attention Abramovich is receiving amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last Wednesday, President Putin ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine and has since attempted to gain control of the capital city, Kyiv.
Labour MP Chris Bryant last week used parliamentary privilege to insist Abramovich should be stripped of his ownership of Chelsea as part of government sanctions on alleged Putin associates.
Following the release of Saturday’s statement by Abramovich, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards slammed the rare address as ‘poor’, insisting fans need to know more.
“We need more than that don’t we?” Richards said on Sky Sports. “After the last couple of days and just say you’re handing it over to charity, I think it’s poor.
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“There’s so many questions to be asked, to come out with a statement just like that. What does it even mean?
“It’s almost written in code, we don’t want to tell you what’s happening, here you go read this and pick the bones and figure out what it means.”
Trustees of the Chelsea charitable foundation include club chairman Bruce Buck and Chelsea women manager Emma Hayes, along with the club’s director of finance Paul Ramos.
Sir Hugh Robertson, the chair of the British Olympic Association, is also a trustee.
Thomas Tuchel’s side face Liverpool in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.
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