Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has announced that he is putting the club up for sale after 19 years.
The Russian took over Chelsea in 2003. Under his ownership, the Blues have been elevated to becoming one of the biggest teams in Europe.
Abramovich appointed Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2004. Under Mourinho, Chelsea won back-to-back Premier League titles, a League Cup and an FA Cup before his first departure. Since then, they have gone on to win domestic trophies under six different managers, including Mourinho. In addition, the Blues are also two-time Champions League winners.
The future ownership of Chelsea has been the subject of fierce uncertainty since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.
Labour MP Chris Bryant presented a leaked Home Office document to the House of Commons last week. When it was created in 2019, it said that Abramovich was of interest to the UK Government because of his “links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices”.
Bryant also said that the Government should look to seize some of the Russian’s assets, and that he should not be allowed to own an English football club.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked why Abramovich was not facing sanctions during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
Abramovich confirms decision to sell Chelsea
Roman Abramovich released an initial statement on Saturday on Chelsea’s official website. It signalled his intention to pass the “stewardship and care” of the club to its charitable foundation, of which there are six trustees.
On Wednesday, however, he confirmed his intention to sell the club.
The statement read: “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.”
He has confirmed that the sale of the club will “follow due process”.
Abramovich also said in the statement: “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 involves providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.”
Conor McGregor throws his hat into the Chelsea ring
Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea Football Club will no doubt pique the interest of many wealthy people in business.
One person you may not expect to be in discussions over the future of Chelsea is UFC star and Manchester United fan Conor McGregor. However, according to his Twitter account, there is interest.
He posted a WhatsApp screenshot to Twitter, in which he had written: “Chelsea FC on sale for £3bn. Let’s buy it.”
Has Conor McGregor ever been linked with buying a football club?
It is not clear who the message’s recipient is or whether McGregor’s intentions are genuine.
However, he has indicated his desire to buy a football club on previous occasions.
The Irishman supports Manchester United. He said in May that he was “thinking” of buying the club.
Read: Conor McGregor doubles down on Manchester United takeover comments
He also admitted that he had once had a conversation about buying shares in Celtic from the club’s current largest individual shareholder, Dermot Desmond.
The sight of Conor McGregor owning a Premier League club would certainly be an interesting one for fans. Furthermore, a possible takeover may not be too far away.
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