Roman Abramovich sent shockwaves around the world of football on Saturday night by announcing he was handing the ‘stewardship and care of Chelsea FC’ to the trustees of the club’s charitable foundation.
Amid fears the billionaire could face stringent sanctions from the Government, the surprising move is an attempt to protect Chelsea from continued links to the wider situation of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Abramovich, 55, who is worth £10billion and bought the club from Ken Bates in summer 2003, has come under renewed scrutiny after Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, with the revelation last week that in 2019 the Home Office linked the billionaire to the Russian state as well as ‘corrupt activity and practices’.