Roman Abramovich: Former Chelsea owner wants ‘proper goodbye’
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has said he wants to return to Stamford Bridge for a “proper goodbye,” in the Russian’s first interview since sanctions forced him to sell the club three years ago.
Abramovich was sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as the UK government froze the assets of multiple oligarchs in a bid to “isolate [President Vladamir] Putin and those around him.” Abramovich sold the two-time Champions League winners to a consortium led by U.S. investor Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May that year.
The 58-year-old’s last known media interview was with Forbes in 2021 but in the book “Sanctioned” by Nick Purewal, Abramovich addressed the possibility of returning to Chelsea, and potentially football.
“Perhaps one day there would be a situation where I could attend a match and say a proper goodbye, but nothing more than that,” Abramovich said in an interview in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
“I don’t have any interest in any role in a football club, certainly not a professional role.
“There might be something where I could help with academies and youngsters, giving greater opportunities to people from difficult backgrounds, if there were an initiative that could make a difference.
“But as for ownership or a professional role at a club, I am done with that in this lifetime.”
In the book, Abramovich is claimed to have facilitated peace talks from the outset of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“There is an old Russian saying, ‘The dogs bark but the caravan keeps moving,’ and that fits here,” Abramovich added in his 2025 interview.
“Whatever I do, people will always accuse me of some kind of agenda. In the end, I have done what I have done simply to try to help.”
The UK government has threatened to sue Abramovich to ensure the money from the club’s sale — £2.5 billion ($3.37bn) — goes to Ukraine. The UK government wants the money to be for Ukrainian humaintarian aid, while Abramovich has said he wants it to go to “all victims of the war in Ukraine.”
In a joint statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required.”
A lawyer for Abramovich in Britain did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 before embarking on a trophy-laden era. Chelsea won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two Champions Leagues and two Europa Leagues before Abramovich’s departure.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.