Roman’s empire: how the seeds of Abramovich’s demise were there all along

A high court case from 2012 between Abramovich and an erstwhile mentor resurfaced last week. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images

So, for Roman Abramovich, after 19 years of being garlanded in Britain for the glittering success his money bought for Chelsea football club, the game is finally up.

A whole era in which the government, Premier League and crowds of London professionals were untroubled by the well-documented way the Russian oligarch had amassed his fortunes crashed when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.