Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich confirms that he is putting England’s Chelsea up for sale after winning 18 titles in 19 years

Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea, confirmed on Wednesday that the English club is for sale and that he will not ask to be paid any of the loans he has made to the team in recent years.

“I would like to respond to the speculation that has been in the media in recent days regarding Chelsea. As I have said on other occasions, I always make decisions in the best interest of the club and, in the current situation, the best decision is to sell the club,” Abramovich said in a statement.

Abramovich assured that the sale of the club will not be immediate but that it will follow a process and that he will not ask that the loans he has made to the team, and which amount to more than 1,500 million ($ 1,600 million) of pounds, be paid to him.

“This has never been about business or money, but about love and passion for the sport and for the club. I have asked my team to open a charity and all proceeds from the sale will go to the victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes both providing urgent funds at this time and those victims who need long-term recovery, “added the Russian tycoon.

“It has been a very difficult decision to make and it hurts me a lot to have to leave the club. I hope to be able to return to Stamford Bridge one last time so I can say goodbye to all of you. It has been a privilege to be part of Chelsea and I am very proud of everything we have achieved.”

Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 for an amount close to 100 million euros (around 115 million) and has since made them one of the leading teams in Europe, with 18 titles since then, including two European Cups.

An American consortium, with billionaire Hansjörg Wyss at the helm, has been one of the first to show interest in buying the club, although they have been reluctant about the price Abramovich is asking for. (D)