As he prepares to leave Stamford Bridge, Roman Abramovich has called his 19-year tenure as “the honor of a lifetime.”
The Premier League club revealed on Saturday morning that a takeover is nearing completion, some three months after the Russian tycoon first placed the Blues up for sale.
Chelsea will be owned by a group led by Todd Boehly as of Monday, and Abramovich has issued a statement to celebrate the conclusion of a tumultuous transition phase for the club.
It reads: “It has been nearly three months since I announced my intention to sell Chelsea FC. During this time, the team have worked hard to find the right custodian for Chelsea FC that would be best positioned to successfully lead the Club into its next chapter.
“The ownership of this Club comes with great responsibility. Since I came to Chelsea nearly twenty years ago, I have witnessed first-hand what this Club can achieve. My goal has been to ensure that the next owner has a mindset that will enable success for the Men’s and Women’s team, as well as the will and drive to continue developing other key aspects of the Club, such as the Academy and the vital work of Chelsea Foundation.”
“I am pleased this search has now come to a successful conclusion. As I hand over Chelsea to its new custodians, I would like to wish them the best of success, both on and off the pitch.
“It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this Club – I would like to thank all the Club’s past and current players, staff, and of course fans for these incredible years.
“I am proud that as a result of our joint successes, millions of people will now benefit from the new charitable foundation which is being established. This is the legacy which we have created together.”
Because of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich has been subject to government-imposed sanctions since shortly after placing Chelsea up for sale. The worry is that any monies raised would be used to aid Russia in its conflict against Ukraine.
