Never mind where the money will or won’t go, never mind the vendor has not yet been sanctioned by the European Union or the United Kingdom, there is a bottom line about the Chelsea sale.
If you want to take advantage of the unimaginable human tragedy being inflicted on innocent men, women and children by doing a spot of opportunistic business with a Russian oligarch, you are not passing ANY fit and proper persons test.
The only thing anyone should be doing to Russian oligarchs right now – and this, regardless of how good an owner he has been for Chelsea Football Club, includes Roman Abramovich – is squeezing them so hard they feel they have no option but to try and use their influence to get rid of Vladimir Putin.
Do not deal with Russian oligarchs, full stop.
Certainly do not let them sell their assets on their own terms.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will you be sad to see Abramovich leave? Let us know in the comments.
Because forget all the fuzzy stuff about “charitable foundations”, Abramovich’s statement is still a sale on HIS terms. And, pretty much in keeping with his entire 19 years in the consciousness of the British public, we don’t know what he is really up to. (Although we may have an idea).
Just as we don’t really know exactly how he accrued his vast wealth, by the way. (Although we may have an idea).
A reference to “net proceeds” is just one term that jumps out of the Abramovich statement.
So, that could mean he will take out whatever he reckons he has put into the club and use the leftovers to set up this charitable foundation.
Charitable foundations can obviously be a force for good. They can also not be quite what they seem.
Then, there is the line about this foundation supporting “all victims of the war in Ukraine”.
It makes it sound as though this is some sort of even-handed battle. It might have sounded better had he said “all victims of the invasion of Ukraine”. But then that would be to imply criticism of Putin’s inhumane, despotic and despicable actions.
And up to now, it is clear Abramovich does not want to publicly condemn what his country’s leader
is doing.
That is another reason for not doing business with him.
The Premier League’s role in the sale – which chief executive Richard Masters has welcomed – will, as always, be intriguing.
There are suggestions that the current procedures to vet prospective owners are going to be overhauled and there might be a strong human rights component included.
In her fan-led review, former sports minister Tracey Crouch MP (circled, above) suggested a candidate’s integrity should be examined.
Well, if you deal with a Russian oligarch at this moment in history, you have little integrity.
If the extremely unlikely happened and Abramovich was, indeed, left with the club for a considerable length of time, it could be that the EU or the UK might eventually impose sanctions on him.
And it is fair to consider what the future would then hold for the club. It would be mightily uncertain, obviously.
A story emerged yesterday that suggested the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has raised concerns about what would happen to Chelsea if Abramovich is sanctioned, and that contingency plans were being drawn up to protect the future of the club.
Good. But whatever happens, Chelsea will survive. Maybe not in its current state – perhaps unable to financially compete at football’s top table in the immediate future – but it will survive.
And it will eventually have new owners. Fit and proper owners.
But if anyone wants to do a deal with a Russian oligarch right now, there are two things they most certainly are not.
Fit and proper.
Tuchel tried to be too clever with Kepa
Kepa Arrizabalaga might take a little time to get over his Wembley embarrassment. So much for player welfare.
That is why he was allowed to be on the pitch in the Carabao Cup, don’t forget. Player welfare.
He was the fifth Chelsea substitute to be used and, apparently, the reason for being allowed to make so many changes is, yep, player welfare.
That is why these managers want five subs. Player welfare.
Only it is not, of course.
It is so that these managers can show off their supreme tactical nous.
Only, in Thomas Tuchel’s case, the smart Alec-stuff backfired.
And while you might worry about Kepa’s welfare, that is why it was very, very funny.
