Will Roman Abramovich buy Chelsea again? Russian billionaire breaks silence on future plans and sale of Premier League club

Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has revealed he has no interest in taking on any professional role at any football club. The Russian oligarch was the owner of the west London club for almost two decades. He bought it in 2003, but was forced to sell it in 2022 due to alleged ties with Vladimir Putin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since parting ways with Chelsea, Abramovich has yet to set foot at Stamford Bridge, as he’s lived a secretive life away from the spotlight. Now, three years after his forced sale of the club, the 58-year-old has now spoken for the first time.

In a new book titled Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich stated that he has no intention of buying the west London club or any other again. He added that he would love to return to Stamford Bridge to say a “proper goodbye” to fans. He said (via Mirror):

“Perhaps one day there would be a situation where I could attend a match and say a proper goodbye, but nothing more than that. I don’t have any interest in any role in a football club, certainly not a professional role.

"There might be something where I could help with academies and youngsters, giving greater opportunities to people from difficult backgrounds, if there were an initiative that could make a difference. But as for ownership or a professional role at a club, I am done with that in this lifetime."

While Roman Abramovich has parted ways with Chelsea, the £2.5 billion proceeds from the sale of the club remain in a frozen UK bank account. The latest report is that the UK government are yet to reach an agreement with the Russian, who said those proceeds will go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine.

In Abramovich’s 19 years as owner at Stamford Bridge, the club enjoyed a huge era of success, winning 21 major trophies, which include the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League.

“Whatever I do, people will always accuse me” – Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich says he won’t allow accusations to distract him

Speaking further in the soon-to-be-released book, Roman Abramovich insisted that he won’t be distracted by the accusations towards him, including those from the UK government.

He said:

"There is an old Russian saying, 'The dogs bark but the caravan keeps moving,' and that fits here, Whatever I do, people will always accuse me of some kind of agenda. In the end, I have done what I have done simply to try to help.”

Chelsea are currently owned by a consortium headed by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital co-founder Behdad Eghbali.