Chelsea fans divided over Abramovich case

Chelsea supporters have the blues. The club’s president, Roman Abramovich, is among the Russian oligarchs targeted by international sanctions because of the war in Ukraine. The club cannot be sold and cannot bring in money.

Jimmy, Chelsea supporter since his childhood, alone in front of a row of barriers that close the entrance to the stadium, is a little lost. Aware of the war in Ukraine, he did not really digest the banishment of the president of Chelsea: “It’s not good news. He’s been there for so long, he’s invested so much in the club! Much more than the next one can do… And he’s allowed us to win the Champions League twice. It’s an incredible situation, but the government’s problem must not become Chelsea’s problem.”

The surroundings of the stadium are almost deserted, the official store is closed, like the two hotels integrated into the complex and which belong to the club. The situation saddens George, but for this young football fan, Londoner and French-speaking, it is time for Chelsea to change president: “Right now, we can’t have Abramovich as an owner… He’s Russian, and they committed atrocities in Ukraine, it’s not moral. We’ve already seen the supporters of this club chanting the name of Abramovich at the stadium, that would be a big problem now.”

“Abramovich won the Champions League, but it can’t go on any longer.”

George, Chelsea supporter

at franceinfo

Roman Abramovich put Chelsea FC up for sale before the start of the war in Ukraine, but since then the situation has become even more uncertain. For Ninke, crossed near the stadium, the supporters cannot envisage the disappearance of their favorite club: “I think the fans are a bit afraid of it, there will be a lot of protests if the club gets close to a situation where it has to close its doors. It’s not just a club: here everyone is a fan of Chelsea is a bit like our home, it’s like a village.”