Why You Shouldn’t Feel Too Sorry For Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich

Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who owns Chelsea football club, has decided to sell the club over the fears that his presence at the club has raised the possibility the club could be affected by economic sanctions the UK has brought in as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich has pumped an incredible amount of money into the club over the years. In fact, the club owes him 1.5 billion pounds (2,007,118,500 USD), which he has said he is willing to write off in quite a generous gesture.

Chelsea fans (and fans of other clubs with Russian owners like Manchester United) have gone mad on Twitter praising

Abramovich for his generosity.

It's Crazy how Roman Abramovic has been held accountable more than Vladimir putin lol
Agenda against Chelsea fc smh ! pic.twitter.com/k1AddwudcN

— Kemboi (@Cfc_Kemboi) March 2, 2022

Roman Abramovic said it’s not really about the money. Whoever is going to be the next owner of Chelsea will be critically examined because it’s very obvious he still loves the club and will want the club to get owners who also share the same passion as him.

— KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) March 2, 2022

One fan wrote: “Take a bow, Roman Abramovic… One of us.”

“He’s been a brilliant owner. He’s been the best owner in the world.”

“He bought Chelsea to bring success & he delivered everything.”

Jason Cundy pays tribute to outgoing #CFC owner Roman Abramovich pic.twitter.com/VKXsoOVpx0

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 2, 2022

Imagine being owed £1.5bn, people don’t realised how much money that is, could last generations. Roman Abramovic told Chelsea “you can keep it”… unbelievable.

— Mod (@CFCMod_) March 2, 2022

Another said: “So @UKLabour Roman Abramovic has put Chelsea up for sale, he’s righting off the £1.5bn the club owes him & the rest of the money from the sale is going to a foundation for the Ukrainian victims! & you think he’s the enemy? ”

If this is the endThank you Roman Abramovic Thank you for Loving Chelsea football club

We as fan's would never forget the good work you did at Chelsea pic.twitter.com/W5LjtJx6He

— badboy.jeremy (@badboy_jeremy1) March 2, 2022

Another – a fan of a rival club, Manchester United – wrote: “Roman Abramovic has put Chelsea up for sale for the ‘best interest of the club’. Hoping our Russian owners — Avram and Joel Yuri Usmanov Glazer — do the same for Man Utd.”

Despite all the fawning, however, Chief Soccer Correspondent for the New York Times, Rory Smith, has taken to Twitter to suggest we hesitate a second before feeling too sorry for Abramovic, who has a net worth of

13.1 billion USD.

“Roman Abramovich is selling Chelsea to whoever will take it off him, as fast as he can, because his presence has raised the possibility the club could be affected by actual economic sanctions. He is currently being cast as a ‘good owner,’ Smith said.

“It’s great that he’s giving all the net proceeds of the sale to a charity some people are setting up for him. Might be worth noting that his asking price currently covers all the money he’s pumped in over the years.”

As well as Hansjörg Wyss, I believe Todd Boehly, the part-owner of the LA Dodgers, is worth mentioning at this juncture. Pool of potential owners is "very small," both @tariqpanja and I are told, and there is a belief that the price will drop *fast* the longer it runs on.

— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) March 2, 2022

“I get why Chelsea fans love(d) him,” he added. “I get that he made dreams come true. I believe he is fond of Chelsea. But surely being a good owner is in some way related to safeguarding the future of the club? It’s really hard to make the case Abramovich is doing that, even if he’s trying.”

Read Next

• Vladimir Putin Documentary Explains Why He’s Invading Ukraine
• Vladimir Putin’s $140 Million Superyacht Move Might Be Scarier Than The Russian Army

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