Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira insisted Roman Abramovich has been "really good for football in general" as he praised the Chelsea owner's impact on the English game.
Abramovich is nearing the end of his association with the Blues as the Premier League have disqualified him as a director 19 years on from when he purchased the club.
The oligarch is selling Chelsea and has faced government sanctions in the wake of Vladimir Putin 's invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich has well-established links to the Russian president and made the fortune with which he bought Chelsea following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
This has led many to criticise his ownership of the West London club over the years, with this condemnation increasing drastically following Putin's act of aggression in Eastern Europe.
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Nonetheless, Vieira believes Abramovich has had a profoundly "positive" impact on football since buying Chelsea in 2003, highlighting the vast academy and loan network the Blues have established during his tenure, as well as the vast array of honours they have won.
"You just have to look at what Chelsea have won in the last 20 years," the Crystal Palace manager said on the subject of Abramovich's legacy.
"And the number of players their academy has developed that have played in the Premier League and Championship is unbelievable.
"So, of course, his period at Chelsea has been positive. I think it's been really good for football in general."
Chelsea have won every trophy available to them since Abramovich took over, including the Champions League twice and, most recently, the Club World Cup.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, insisted the government made the right decision by adding Abramovich to their sanctioned individuals list on Thursday.
"One man is responsible for it, Vladimir Putin," Klopp said of the war in Ukraine. "I don't know about Roman Abramovich but it is clear he is pretty close [to Putin] and I think the British government is right.
"It is pretty obvious where the money is coming from. Everyone knew it, but we accepted it. That's our fault. It is society's fault so we accepted it.
"Now we cannot accept it anymore and so we punish them, it is not Chelsea's fault. Not at all."
Klopp also pointed to Newcastle's takeover by a Saudi-backed consortium earlier this season as he called for greater scrutiny of prospective owners.
The German added: "Did anyone really care when Newcastle got taken over? Do supporters really care? It is a question."
