Just when he thought things were dying down, the UK government announced it would be taking legal action against former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich over the £2.5 billion he received from the sale of Chelsea.
Roman Abramovich sold the Blues in 2022 because of his connection to Russia and President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Ukraine invasion saga.
Since the 58-year-old was sanctioned, the £ 2.5 billion is still frozen in a UK bank. He wants the money to benefit all the victims of the war, including Russian soldiers, and assist other charitable causes besides Ukraine.
Even though the money legally belongs to him, Abramovich has no say since he does not have direct access to the money.
The UK government wants to use the money for humanitarian causes to help the people of Ukraine, but unfortunately, the money can’t be touched since the government and Abramovich have not reached an agreement.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy have released a statement expressing their frustration over this matter, even though the door to negotiation is still open, but this matter will be taken to court because the money can’t be moved without a license from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.
“The Government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion.
“We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach an agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.
“While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible.”
Described as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch” by the government, Abramovich owned Chelsea for almost 19 years from 2003 to 2022.
The Club was sold to Todd Boehly, and so far, it’s rumored that there is a rift between him and co-owners Clearlake Capital, adding to that, the 51-year-old is looking to buy out the majority stake held by Clearlake Capital. But Clearlake Capital has made it loud and clear that they are not willing to sell.
