A magnificent era is over! Romain Abramovich, who has been in charge of Chelsea for 19 years, made the most difficult decision.
At 2:30 a.m. Beijing time on March 3, Chelsea boss Abu issued a statement through his official website announcing the sale of Chelsea Club and not requiring the club to repay any loans.
According to Sky Sports, the Daily Telegraph and other media, public accounts show that as of June 30, 2021, Chelsea's outstanding debt balance to Abu is 1.5144 billion pounds, and Abu will not ask for a penny.
Brother Meow never imagined that Abu would say goodbye to his team in such a way. Due to the huge impact caused by the military conflict in Russia and Ukraine, Abu, the former richest man in Russia, was also involved and became the target of public criticism. British lawmakers have publicly demanded sanctions against Abu, including a proposal to confiscate Chelsea club or other property in Abu's name.
On 26 February, Abu delegated the management of Chelsea to the Chelsea Charitable Foundation, intending to protect Chelsea from the current complex situation, but failed to calm the doubts of British public opinion. In the case of premonition that there is no room for maneuver, Abu can only bear to let go, and the best boss of the Premier League and even football is forced to withdraw from the stage.
The full text of the Abu statement is as follows -
I want to talk about the media speculation over the past few days about my ownership of Chelsea club. As I've always said, I always make decisions from the heart in the best interests of the club. So in the current situation, I decided to sell the club. Because I believe it's in the best interests of the club, the fans, the staff and the sponsors and partners.
The club sale will not be completed immediately, but will follow due process and I will not ask for repayment of any loans. For me, it was never a matter of business or money, but a pure love of the game and the club. In addition, I have instructed the team to set up a charitable foundation to donate all net proceeds from the sale. The foundation will help all victims of the war in Ukraine, including funding the victims' urgent needs, as well as supporting long-term post-war recovery efforts.
Please understand that this was a very difficult decision and it was very painful for me to be separated from the club in this way. However, I am convinced that this is the only way to serve the best interests of the club.
I hope that I will be able to come to Stamford Bridge stadium for the last time and say goodbye to all of you in person. It has been a lifelong honour to be a part of Chelsea and I am proud of all that we have achieved together. Chelsea and its supporters will always be in my heart.
For Chelsea fans, football-loving fans, this is sad and infuriating news.
There is no doubt that Abu has spent 19 years to prove his feelings for Chelsea, without his generous investment, Chelsea would not have been able to get 21 large and small teams, complete the honorary Grand Slam, and Chelsea also jumped to an important position in European football.
But in this torn world, Abu, who has always been low-key, cannot save the team and be alone. After all, Russian cats are sanctioned in the name of justice, an unprecedented absurdity. Abu, who used to be the richest man in Russia and was very close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is saddled with the greatest "original sin", and how can it be easily let go by the robbers.
Sky Sports also revealed that even if Abu decides to sell Chelsea, it is still unknown whether it will be allowed, because the British government may freeze all of Abu's assets in the UK, and once this is implemented, any sale plan can only be stopped.
The £1.5 billion debt is not a penny, the sale of all the rights is donated to Ukrainian refugees, and the last wish is to return to Stamford Bridge and say goodbye to the fans. Sadly, he hasn't seen it at his home stadium in almost 4 years.
Oh, this is the Russian devil in the eyes of European and American politicians, and this is the "evil capital" that they have painstakingly tried to exterminate. However, more and more people will see the true face of the robbers under the pretext of their moral appearance.
In other words, the Premier League does not deserve such a good boss, and the double-standard football world does not deserve such a good boss!