London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Russian Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich gives 'stewardship' of club over to trustees

Russian Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich gives 'stewardship' of club over to trustees

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has announced he plans to give the "stewardship" of Chelsea Football Club over to trustees of the club's charitable foundation.

Abramovich made the announcement in the days after Russia's invaded Ukraine to protect the club's reputation, a source close to the club told CNN.

"I have always taken decisions with the Club's best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea's charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC. I believe ... they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans," Abramovich wrote in a statement released on Saturday.

Although some British lawmakers have called for the Russian national to give up ownership of the club, he will stay on as the owner of the Premier League side, according to the source.

British Member of Parliament Chris Bryant has previously called for Abramovich to be stripped of his ownership of Chelsea. Speaking in the House of Commons in February, Bryant quoted a leaked 2019 UK government document that identified Abramovich's alleged "links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices." Abramovich has always denied being linked to Putin and rejected claims that any of his activities merited government sanctions.

"Surely, Mr. Abramovich should no longer be able to own a football club in this country?" he added.

Abramovich himself has not been sanctioned by the UK, according to the UK's sanctions list website.

When asked about the impact on Chelsea's financial situation, the source told CNN that the club's finances will not change and that regarding his investment, Abramovich "has not asked for it back for 20 years and nothing has changed."

Chelsea has won two Champions League trophies and five Premier League trophies since Abramovich took ownership of the club in 2003.

Abramovich celebrates winning the Champions League after Chelsea beat Manchester City at the Estadio do Dragao on May 29, 2021 in Porto, Portugal.


The club released the following statement on Sunday morning: "The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating. Chelsea FC's thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace."

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust -- a non-profit independent trust set up to "encourage" the club's board to "take into account the interests of all supporters" amongst other purposes -- also released a statement following Abramovich's announcement.

"The Chelsea Supporters' Trust is deeply saddened and shocked by the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent loss of life," the group said. "We note Mr. Abramovich's statement and are seeking urgent clarification on what this statement means for the running of Chelsea FC."

"We stand with the people of Ukraine," it added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×