Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea FC, smiles after his team’s victory during the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea at Estadio do Dragao on May 29, 2021 in Porto, Portugal.
Alexander Hassenstein | Uefa | Getty Images
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich On Wednesday he said he would sell Chelsea Football Club In England, a dramatic move came in response to outrage over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich at the same time announced that he had commissioned the famous team to create a foundation that would use all the net proceeds from the sale of Chelsea “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine”.
The announcement of the sale came less than a week after the billionaire said he had transferred oversight of the club to trustees of a charity and following calls that Abramovich has faced sanctions from the UK.
“As I said before, I have always made decisions in the best interest of the club,” Abramovich said in a statement. “In the current situation, I have made the decision to sell the club, because I believe this is in the interest of the club, the fans and staff, as well as the sponsors and partners of the club.”
“I hope you know this was a very difficult decision and it pains me to be separated from the club in this way,” he added.
Tuesday Ukrainian lawyer confronts British Prime Minister Boris Johnson On the lack of sanctions for Abramovich.
“You are talking about more sanctions, Prime Minister. But Roman Abramovich not punished. She is in London. His children are not in the bombing. “His children are there in London,” said lawyer Daria Kalinyuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Center.
Also on Tuesday, Johnson’s government introduced legislation in parliament that targets what the government has described as “dirty money from Russia and elsewhere” that has been hoarded in British assets.
Abramovich bought London-based Chelsea FC in 2003. During his tenure, Chelsea have won the Premier League Football League title, the English Premier League and the prestigious FA Cup five times. Chelsea are currently third. in the Premier League, behind leaders Manchester City and Liverpool.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration said it was forming a new task force Imposing US and allied sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs who aided in the war in Ukraine, launched by President Vladimir Putin.
This is urgent news. . Please check back for updates
