It's a thunderclap in the footballing landscape.
The London club Chelsea, reigning European champions, are for sale, as announced Roman Abramovich, its owner since 2003, in a press release on Wednesday: "I would like to address the speculation in the media in recent days concerning my owned by Chelsea FC.
As I said before, I have always taken decisions in the interest of the club.
In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe it is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the sponsors and partners of the club.
A few days ago, under the pressure of events, Abramovich announced his withdrawal from the management of Chelsea.
“The sale of the club will not be accelerated but will follow a regular procedure, continues the latter.
I will not ask for any loan repayment.
It was never about business or money for me, but pure passion for the game and the club.
In addition, I have instructed my team to create a charitable foundation where all net profits from the sale will be donated.
The foundation will benefit all victims of the war in Ukraine.
This includes providing essential funds for the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting long-term recovery work.
Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part ways with the club in this way.
However, I think it is in the interests of the club."
Statement from Roman Abramovich.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 2, 2022
Abramovich has been playing a very complex score since the start of the war in Ukraine.
A major figure in the Premier League for 15 years, the Russian-Israeli owner of Chelsea is close to Vladimir Putin but also a man born to a mother from Kiev.
He is mobilized in the negotiations between the two parties on the Belarusian border, without knowing exactly his level of influence.
Abramovich is not yet one of the personalities targeted by the financial sanctions decided by the British government, but the idea paralyzes him, according to the Anglo-Saxon press.
To deal with this eventuality, the leader had chosen last weekend to step back and cede the "management" of the reigning European champion club to "administrators of the charitable foundation".
Only, this operation proves to be delicate, even impossible on the legal level.
This situation would have pushed Abramovich to open the door to a takeover.
The New York Times says it requires takeover candidates to come forward with supporting documents before the weekend.
According to the club's parent company, Fordstam Ltd, Abramovich's subsidized loans to the club amount to more than 1.5 billion pounds (nearly 1.8 billion euros).
Abramovich, who became one of the richest men in Russia on the ruins of the USSR (more than 13 billion dollars according to Forbes) after notably selling his company's shares to Gazprom, has still not spoken publicly. .
He has just confirmed through his spokesperson that he has accepted the invitation of the Ukrainian regime to take part in the “peace talks”.
His daughter has taken a clear position: against the war and against the invasion led by Vladimir Putin.