Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, Premier League, Russia
Ryan Smart
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is now living a much different life 'in exile' since selling the club in 2022, it has been reported.
The Russian billionaire acquired Chelsea in 2003 from previous owner Ken Bates, paying a reported sum of £140 million.
Abramovich quickly invested significant amounts in the playing squad, which changed the financial landscape of English football completely.
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After a second-placed finish under Claudio Ranieri in 2004, Abramovich swooped to appoint Jose Mourinho as the Blues' new manager after talks with Liverpool stalled.
Chelsea spent nearly £100 million on players in the 2004 summer transfer window, with the likes of Petr Cech, Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba arriving at Stamford Bridge.
They went on to win two successive Premier League titles under Mourinho, while setting a new record for the least amount of goals conceded in a single season.
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Success took longer to arrive in the Champions League as Chelsea lost in the final in 2008 under Avram Grant, but Abramovich finally got his hands on the trophy when the Blues won it under Roberto Di Matteo's management in 2012 and then again under Thomas Tuchel in 2021.
Under a year later, Abramovich was forced to sell the Blues following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The UK Prime Minister at the time, Boris Johnson, said (as per The Guardian) that his government had obtained 'clear evidence' that Abramovich was 'connected to the Vladimir Putin regime'.
The Russian sold Chelsea to a consortium co-led by Todd Boehly in May 2022. The purchase amount was a world record for a sports club and stood at £4.25 billion.
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A spokesperson for Abramovich said via The Athletic that the funds from the sale - which would be frozen due to the loan being subject to EU sanctions - would be 'earmarked for [a charitable] Foundation'."
The Daily Mirror reported in June 2023 that the Russian had acquired a property in a neighbourhood of the Turkish city of Istanbul - which hosted the 2005 and 2023 Champions League finals.
In addition, his Eclipse superyacht was pictured in the country in 2022.
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The report claims that residents did not responds to questions about the former Chelsea owner when asked. A spokesperson, meanwhile, branded claims that Abramovich was looking to buy a football club in Istanbul as 'entirely false'.
The Athletic reported that Abramovich had spent his life between Sochi, Istanbul and Tel Aviv since relinquishing control of Chelsea - and that he now 'rarely keeps up with football'.
Now, a new report by The Telegraph has shed further light on the 58-year-old's post-Chelsea life.
They report that Abramovich has been seen in Istanbul - with a chef from the region commenting that he 'loves eating lamb and kebab'.
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He added: "I go to his private boat every summer to cook."
The report adds that Abramovich's Eclipse superyacht is docked in Marmaris, a Turkish port city. One resident claims that he hasn't been seen on the yacht for at least six months.
Meanwhile, the Premier League are currently investigating alleged financial transactions around the club's signings of Willian and Samuel Eto'o, who were both signed in 2013 under the Abramovich regime.
Chelsea's current ownership state they became 'aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions' while completing their due diligence into the club during the takeover process.
The London Evening Standard report that the club are now in talks with the Premier League over a financial settlement relating to the alleged rule breaches.