Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich reportedly asked to help in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Roman Abramovich raised eyebrows by giving up control of Chelsea amid Russia’s invasion but what came next is even more unexpected.

The owner of English Premier League football club Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, has reportedly been called in to help mediate the Russia-Ukraine crisis, a spokeswoman for the billionaire oligarch said.

On the weekend Abramovich sensationally gave up control of Chelsea amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the club announced the 55-year-old handed over the “stewardship and care” of the team to the trustees of its charitable foundation.

Abramovich and other Russian oligarchs have been under fire with English government officials calling for action to be taken and their assets to be frozen.

But it has since been claimed by Abramovich’s team that he has been contacted to help bring an end to the atrocities taking place in Ukraine.

“I can confirm that Roman Abramovich was contacted by the Ukrainian side for support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has been trying to help ever since,” his spokeswoman said.

“Considering what is at stake, we would ask for understanding as to why we have not commented on neither the situation as such nor his involvement.”

However, as reported by The Guardian, Abramovich’s spokeswoman conceded he would have “limited” influence.

Abramovich’s attempt to take some heat off Chelsea by releasing his control of the club has been met with cynicism and confusion.

The Russian, whose fortune is worth nearly $19 billion according to the latest data from Forbes magazine, remains the owner and reportedly has no intention yet to sell his stake.

The Telegraph and BBC reported some unease among the Chelsea Foundation trustees at the legal implications and reputational damage they could suffer by taking on the role.

Chelsea’s success skyrocketed after Roman Abramovich bought the club.

Abramovich has not been named on a growing British sanctions list targeting Russian banks, businesses and pro-Kremlin billionaires. But British Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran used parliamentary privilege last week to name Abramovich as one of 35 “key enablers” to President Vladimir Putin who should be sanctioned personally by the UK.

Should such reprisals be forthcoming, it remains unclear where Chelsea would stand.

“In a legal context stewardship means no more than the job of supervising or taking care of something, in other words the job of ‘caretaker’,” said sports lawyer Stephen Taylor Heath.

“Should the government decree that Abramovich should not be in control of the club, the Premier League would immediately have to analyse whether ownership of the club has in fact been transferred to the trust.”

The latest accounts from Chelsea’s parent company Fordstam Ltd showed the soft loans from Abramovich to the club have now exceeded $2.7 billion.

Chelsea have profited from two decades of unprecedented success as a result. The Blues had one league title in their history prior to a takeover that started the wave of major foreign investment in English football and helped hyperinflate the cost of transfer fees and wages.

Within two years Chelsea were Premier League champions, the first of five titles since Abramovich took charge.

In those glorious early years of Jose Mourinho’s time as manager, Abramovich was a regular attendee at Stamford Bridge. But his appearances gradually became more fleeting and there were questions over whether his interest would be maintained after delays in the renewal of his UK work visa saw him withdraw his application in 2018.