Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea, is finally set to break his silence on the sale of the club to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022, in a new book titled Sanctioned by Nick Purewal. The 58-year-old Russian billionaire had owned Chelsea for 19 years, leading the club to immense success, including two Champions League titles and five Premier League trophies.
However, his exit came after he was sanctioned by the UK government due to his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich’s sale of the club to the American consortium, known as BlueCo, marked the end of an era for Chelsea. Since then, the club has faced a turbulent period, with fans expressing frustration at the lack of trophies and significant changes in the squad. In March 2024, a faction of Chelsea supporters launched a ‘get them out’ campaign against Boehly and Clearlake Capital, criticizing their management style and lavish spending on new players.
The new owners have rebuilt Chelsea’s squad with a focus on young talent, spending over £1 billion on new signings, but have also faced criticism for their decisions, including the firing of manager Thomas Tuchel just months after he led the club to Champions League glory. Their hiring of Graham Potter proved unsuccessful, and Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure has had mixed results.
Chelsea are currently in the midst of a rebuilding phase under Enzo Maresca, sitting sixth in the Premier League as of the 2024-25 season, with hopes of securing a top-four finish. The club remains in the hunt for the Conference League title, with a semi-final tie against Djurgårdens IF next month.
Despite the challenges, Abramovich’s legacy at Chelsea remains significant, and his upcoming book promises to offer rare insights into his controversial decision to sell the club, the years that defined his ownership, and his thoughts on its current direction.