He is an individual from whom we have heard next to nothing across the course of 19 unforgettable years at Chelsea — so the statement, when it came, was extra-ordinary. Brief yet entirely authentic in the emotion it was attempting to convey.
‘Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me,’ was the emotional core of Roman Abramovich’s 277 words.
We do not know what this man’s English sounds like, because his grasp of the language is less confident than many imagine. But the regret and private agonies spoke through those lines.
Many Chelsea supporters will privately share that pain today, despite the catastrophe which Abramovich’s maniacal champion Vladimir Putin is bringing to Ukraine.
Chelsea’s prospective buyers Hansjorg Wyss and his American associates have wealth, though nothing remotely on the level of the Russian who has turned a modest English club into one of the giants of Europe.
The Stamford Bridge visit Abramovich posited the notion of making — ‘one last time to say goodbye to you all in person’ — will be fascinating to behold if it ever happens. Many will want to acknowledge the joy this man has brought them — 21 trophies in those 19 years, if you include Community Shields.
But many will have no wish to celebrate and legitimise an individual from the upper echelons of a nation which is wreaking havoc. Ask Ukrainians about the ‘pain’ Abramovich speaks of.
His wish to be remembered and celebrated for what he tells fans are ‘our joint achievements’ will be helped by his declaration that all net proceeds of the club’s sale — £2billion, give or take — will go to a foundation ‘for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine’.
Roman Abramovich (R) chats with new Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho back in 2004
Abramovich lifts the European Cup after the Blues beat Bayern Munich in the 2012 final
Financially, this is significant, albeit nothing that will leave him…
Source : dailymail
