OFFICIAL: Roman Abramovich confirms he’s selling Chelsea!

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has confirmed that he is indeed in the process of selling the club 19 years after buying it.

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There had been reports in the media that the 55-year-old billionaire was selling all his properties in the United Kingdom (UK), including Chelsea.

However, the London-based club remained mum on the reports until Wednesday evening when Abramovich released an official statement on the Chelsea website.

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In his statement, Abramovich didn’t reveal who the new Chelsea owner(s) will be but reports suggest that Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and his consortium partners are leading the race to buy the club.

Furthermore, the selling price of Chelsea hasn’t been made public as yet but Abramovich is reported to be looking around £3billion.

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ABRAMOVICH IS OFFICIALLY SELLING CHELSEA – FULL STATEMENT

I would like to address the speculation in media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea FC. As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners.

The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid. This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club. Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.

Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the Club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club.

I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements. Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.

Thank you,

Roman

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WHY IS ABRAMOVICH SELLING CHELSEA?

According to various media reports, Abramovich is selling all his UK properties, including Chelsea, because of the fear that he could be sanctioned by the UK government over his reported relationship with Russia president Vladimir Putin amid his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

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The said reports claim that those who are close to Putin could be targeted by governments in the respective countries they are in across the world due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Abramovich has previously denied his reported association with Putin as well as possibly doing anything – but he’s not willing to take risks of losing his properties.

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