Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced that he plans to temporarily relinquish the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the club revealed in a statement Saturday.
Abramovich will give control to the trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation who will lead the team in his stead.
”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,” Abramovich wrote in a statement Saturday. “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.
“I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.”
Abramovich’s decision comes after he has been the subject of talks in British parliament this week. Labour MP Chris Bryant called for the Russian-born businessman, who has ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, to be barred from owning Chelsea in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, has strongly denied such closeness to Putin and the Russian-state. He made no mention of the war in Saturday’s statement.
Earlier this week, Abramovich’s daughter, Sofia, shared a post on Instagram, insisting that most Russian people do not stand with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel also addressed the situation on Friday, admitted that he finds the uncertainty surrounding Abramovich and his ownership of the club worrying.
