“It was never a business for him” – Chelsea fans salute Roman Abramovich for deciding to protect club at all costs

Chelsea fans have lauded their billionaire owner Roman Abramovich for not treating the club as just another business entity.

Abramovich announced on Wednesday that he is willing to sell Chelsea Football Club in light of the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The billionaire could face sanctions from the UK government, as he is reported to have close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Roman Abramovich had earlier handed over the 'care and stewardship' to the club's trustees, and has now decided to sell the club, to avoid it being seized by the UK government.

Abramovich also said in his statement that the net proceeds from the sale will be donated to help war victims in Ukraine. He also wrote off the £1.5 billion he had loaned to the club, which they have used to bring in world-class players.

Since the Russian took over Chelsea in 2003, the club has seen major success. They have won five Premier League titles and two Champions League titles in his reign. They have also won five FA Cups, two Europa League titles and three League Cups. They completed the trophy cabinet with the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup this season.

He also transformed the fortunes of Chelsea Women's team. Since Abramovich's arrival, the team have won four Women's Super League titles and three Women's FA Cups.

Understandably, the club's fans were disappointed to hear the news of Abrahovich's exit after two decades. However, they lauded the Russian billionaire for putting the club first before his profit.

Chelsea beat Luton Town in fifth round of FA Cup

While news of Abramovich leaving has taken the limelight, the Blues progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Wednesday. They narrowly avoided a major upset against Championship side Luton Town.

Manager Thomas Tuchel started a relatively weak side after their intense Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool on Sunday, which the Blues lost on penalties.

The Championship club took the lead in the second minute to shock the European champions. The Blues came back through a Saul Niguez goal in the 27th minute, but Luton took the lead again in the 40th minute. Timo Werner was the saviour for the Blues in the second half, scoring to level proceedings before setting up Romelu Lukaku for the winner.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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