Chelsea Supporters' Trust have paid tribute to Roman Abramovich's tenure at Stamford Bridge and appealed to prospective new owners to not simply see the club as an investment opportunity.
The Russian owner announced his intention to sell the club on Wednesday evening, in advance of Chelsea's FA Cup clash with Luton Town.
Abramovich's statement followed speculation that a consortium including Todd Boehly and Hanjorg Wyss were preparing a move after the latter had been offered the club, while characters as far reaching as Conor McGregor even declared their interest.
The 55-year-old owner said he had taken the decision 'in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners'. While Abramovich also noted the sale would not be fast-tracked, and that he would not ask for any loans to be repaid there is a great deal of trepidation in the fanbase about the intentions of any new guardian for their club.
The supporters' trust hope that Chelsea's winning ethos will be continued and encouraged supporters to purchase a share in the Chelsea Pitch Owners, the group who lease Stamford Bridge to the club, and hold the name Chelsea FC.
Their statement read:
"The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) board regretfully acknowledges the Statement from Roman Abramovich (2.3.22)
"The CST would like to express our gratitude to Mr Abramovich for his affection, passion and dedication towards Chelsea FC. His support has brought us unparalleled success during his tenure. Chelsea supporters will never forget all he has done for our club. Thank you, Mr Abramovich.
"The Trust recognises the importance of the unprecedented and generous decision to not ask for any loans made to the club to be repaid and the decision to use the proceeds of the sale in a way that will benefit the victims of war in Ukraine. We are deeply saddened and shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent loss of life.
"We stand with the people of Ukraine.
"With regards to the future – we sincerely hope that any new owner(s) have the long-term prosperity of Chelsea FC and its supporters as their primary focus. Chelsea has a rich history and a strong winning ethos, any potential takeover should be made to further develop this and not simply as an “investment opportunity.”
"It is also imperative that any new owner(s) meet and surpass the requirements outlined within the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
"The role of Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) has become even more important given recent events, and the CST would strongly urge all supporters to purchase a share.
https://www.chelseafc.com/en/cpo/buy-a-share
"We will meet shortly with the CPO to discuss any potential future scenarios and to ensure that the CPO & CST are aligned entirely.
"This is a constantly changing situation and we will continue to seek urgent clarification on matters from Chelsea FC.
"We sincerely hope that any new ownership will have an open dialogue with supporters and fully consult with supporters organisations when making decisions.
"Supporters must be put first in all decisions that are made.
"On Behalf of The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust Board"
