Roman Abramovich 'started a new life' somewhere completely different after Chelsea sale
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich 'started a new life' after he sold the club last year, it has been reported.
The Russian billionaire acquired Chelsea in 2003, and quickly changed the face of English football with some of his early decisions.
The Blues splashed the cash during Abramovich's first summer at the helm, with manager Claudio Ranieri entrusted with over £100 million to spend - a significant amount back then that dwarfed what other clubs had available.
After a second-placed finish in 2003/04, Abramovich appointed Jose Mourinho as manager,
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That move heralded in one of the most successful periods in the club's history.
Chelsea won two Premier League titles under Mourinho's reign, and they went on to reach the Champions League final in 2008 under his successor Avram Grant.
Four years later, Abramovich finally got his hands on the Champions League title in unexpected circumstances.
After deciding to sack Andre Villas-Boas partway through the season due to the team's poor league form, the Russian decided to replace him with first team coach Roberto Di Matteo.
And despite little improvement domestically, the Blues' European run continued and Di Matteo guided Chelsea to the crown in surprise fashion, beating Bayern Munich in the final.
The club's second Champions League trophy was delivered nine years later, when Thomas Tuchel's side triumphed against Manchester City in Porto.
In March 2022, the Russian was sanctioned by the UK government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The UK Prime Minister at the time, Boris Johnson, said (as per The Guardian) that the government had obtained 'clear evidence' that Abramovich was 'connected to the Putin regime'.
Last May, Chelsea was sold to a consortium co-led by Todd Boehly for £4.25 billion - a world-record fee at the time for a sports club. A spokesperson for Abramovich said (via The Athletic) that the funds from the sale would be 'earmarked for [a charitable] Foundation'.
The Russian was reportedly living a much different life to before, it was reported.
According to a June 2023 report from the Daily Mirror, Abramovich acquired a property in a neighbourhood of the Turkish city of Istanbul - the city that hosted last season's Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
His Eclipse superyacht, meanwhile, was pictured in the country in 2022.
It is added, however, that residents did not responded to questions about the former Chelsea owner when asked. His current whereabouts are unknown since that June 2023 report.
There were reports that Abramovich was looking to acquire a football club in the city - but these were branded as 'entirely false' by a spokesperson.
The Athletic, meanwhile, reported that it is unclear when the Russian last visited England - the home country of a club which saw so much success over his 19-year reign.
They also report that, at the time of writing, his life had been spent between Sochi, Istanbul and Tel Aviv, while he was also spotted in Dubai. They claim he 'rarely keeps up with football' following his sale of Chelsea.
Meanwhile, in an October 2023 report by The Times, it was claimed the Premier League are investigating alleged financial transactions around Chelsea's signings of Willian and Samuel Eto'o, who both arrived at Stamford Bridge during Abramovich's ownership.
It is claimed that the transfers are being investigated after being flagged by Chelsea's current ownership as part of their due diligence process ahead of taking over the club.
In a statement to The Times, Chelsea said: "These allegations pre-date the club's current ownership. They concern entities that were allegedly controlled by the club's former owner and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club.
"Chelsea FC's ownership group completed its purchase of the club on May 30, 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions during the club's previous ownership.
"Immediately following the completion of the purchase, the club proactively self-reported these matters to all applicable football regulators.
"In accordance with the club's ownership group's core principles of full compliance and transparency, the club has proactively assisted the applicable regulators with their investigations and will continue to do so."
A verdict in the Premier League probe has yet to be reached.
Ryan Smart