Roman Abramovich made Chelsea supporters dream and, even as he plots a farewell to the club, the Russian dangled one final, tantalising prospect in front of them.
“I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person,” read a statement from Abramovich last night, announcing his intention to sell the club.
The words conjured a powerful image of Abramovich paraded on the hallowed turf in the not-too-distant future, serenaded by 40,000 adoring fans, perhaps with an accompanying video montage of 19 years of fabulous, unprecedented success.
For the Chelsea supporters, who sang their owner’s name during last night’s FA Cup tie at Luton, the statement was a hammer-blow, signalling the end of nearly two decades of glory under the oligarch and casting the club’s future as a superpower into doubt.
The statement offered some clarity following days of confusion, but still left much to interpretation. Abramovich revealed he would not be asking for the £1.5billion he has pumped into the club in loans to be repaid, a final gesture of goodwill from a man who clearly wants a quick sale with as little fuss as possible.
He also promised all “net proceeds” would be donated to “all the victims” of the war in Ukraine, possibly including his compatriots, although once his costs are covered that may amount to less than many anticipate. There was still no direct condemnation of Vladimir Putin.
His impending sale marks the end of an era for not just Chelsea but the English game, and may yet prove a significant domino in a period of change. Abramovich fundamentally reshaped football on these shores after purchasing the club in 2003, proving beyond doubt that money does buy success and ushering in a new era of fabulously wealthy ownership, including by nation states.
His untouchable wealth made a mockery of the often-cited belief that stability is all-important as he helped to make English clubs more demanding and trigger-happy with their coaches. He went through 13 different managers, winning 18 major trophies — three more than any English club in the same period.
Abramovich made Jose Mourinho a household name, and the era from 2003 to 2005 remains the most thrilling of his ownership, as Chelsea smashed up the Premier League duopoly of Manchester United and Arsenal.
Abramovich’s support paved the way for Chelsea’s first title in 50 years, and later a first-ever European Cup, followed by another last season.
He also taught the English game not to ask questions — or, at least, not to expect answers. He was a benevolent but silent leader, often seen but never heard, helping to establish a curtain of unaccountability from owners and executives at the top of the game.
The most searing questions have always been over the source of Abramovich’s wealth and his links to Putin. The 55-year-old and Chelsea deny he has a close relationship with the Russian president but, as he has scrambled to safeguard his assets since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the impression that Abramovich is just an ordinary businessman has seemed to melt away.
Nearly two decades after he bought the club, Abramovich remains the poster-boy for English football’s entrenched relationship with questionable money, and perhaps the ultimate symbol of the difficult position the game — and in some respects the entire country — finds itself in the wake of a new war in Europe.
If Abramovich does get his wish to return to Stamford Bridge, he will be celebrated as a hero, but the prospect of a glorious send-off into the sunset would not be without complications.
Would Chelsea’s new owners want to celebrate a character like Abramovich, an oligarch who could soon be sanctioned by the UK Government and may never feel able to speak out against Putin? And will Abramovich even be allowed back in the UK?
While Abramovich deserves his place in football folklore, really his entire Chelsea tenure feels much like the imaginary scene of his final goodbye: joy and celebration, unpinned by uncomfortable questions.
