When did Roman Abramovich buy Chelsea? How much did Russian oligarch pay for club and who owns Stamford Bridge

The Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich’s current ownership of Premier League side Chelsea looks to be in serious doubt due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Abramovich is said to be personal friends with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and announced on Sunday 27 February 2022 that he would be handing over ‘stewardship’ of the club to Chelsea’ Charitable Trust Foundation in order to separate himself from the side.

Many Russian oligarchs have found themselves the subject of European sanctions, with the Everton sponsor Alisher Usmanov one of them.

Many of these billionaire’s assets have been frozen as the European Union hope to found peaceful solutions to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea’s Abramovich was seemingly escaping these sanctions and the United Kingdom government is also yet to sanction either the Chelsea boss or former Arsenal shareholder, Usmanov, who is said to be one of Putin’s ‘favourite oligarchs’.

When asked during Prime Minister’s Questions why Abramovich was yet to face any sanctions, Boris Johnson said “it was not appropriate to comment on any individual cases at this stage.”

The latest news coming out of Stamford Bridge is that in spite of his handing over of stewardship, the 55-year-old tycoon’s future as the owner is also in doubt.

So how long has Roman Abramovich been in charge of Chelsea, how much has he spent and who is set to take it on?

When did Roman Abramovich buy Chelsea?

The Russian-Israeli billionaire bought the Blues in 2003 from the Chelsea fan and businessman Matthew Harding and Ken Bates.

Ken Bates bought the club for a mere £1 in 1982 and bought a controlling stake in the club, floating the Blues on the AIM stock exchange in March 1996.

Harding then came into the picture, becoming the club’s director and loaning the London club £26 million to build the North Stand and invest in new players.

Abramovich then purchased just over 50% of Chelsea Village plc’s share, including Bates’ 29.5% stake and over the following weeks bought out most of the remaining 12,000 shareholders.

How much did it cost to buy Chelsea?

In total, Abramovich bought the club for £140 million. Chelsea has since been transformed since the Russian’s takeover and its buying has set the template for how much money was needed in order to compete for those top positions in the Premier League.

How much has Abramovich spent on Chelsea over the years?

In total, the Russian oligarch has loaned his club £1.5 billion and this has given the club some of its greatest success in its history.

Under his ownership, Chelsea have won two Champions League, the Premier League and FA Cup five times apiece, the Europa League twice and the League Cup three times.

After winning the UEFA Super Cup and first Club World Cup in recent months, Chelsea have now won every trophy possible for a Premier League side since the 55-year-old tycoon took over.

What’s next for Chelsea?

Swiss billionaire, Hansjorg Wyss, told the Swiss newspaper Blick that Abramovich “wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly” due to the continued threat of sanctions.

The Club have decided not to comment on these claims.

The 86-year-old businessman added: “Abramovich is trying to sell all of his Villas in England, he also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly.

“I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.”

Who owns Stamford Bridge?

Chelsea’s famous ground is owned by the nonprofit organisation Chelsea Pitch Owners plc. This organisation is part of Chelsea Football Club and is tasked with the upkeep of the stadium. It owns the freehold of the stadium as well as the naming rights of Chelsea Football Club.

Former club captain John Terry is the current President of the CPO.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.