Roman Abramovich to break silence on Chelsea sale after 'starting new life' somewhere completely different

Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is set to speak out for the first time since he sold the club and started a completely new life.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Chelsea owner Abramovich was forced to sell his beloved club due to his alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The businessman agreed to a £2.5 billion sale to an American consortium led by current owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May.

Since then, Abramovich has mostly disappeared from public view, but this is about to change as he looks to address the sale of Chelsea in a series of interviews.

The last time that Abramovich spoke with the media was in an interview with Forbes back in March 2021, where he discussed his plans for the club.

Less than a year later, he was officially sanctioned by the UK government and saw all of his assets frozen, leading to the sale of Chelsea.

And now, the 58-year-old is set to open up and tell his side of the whirlwind sale in in a new book set to be released this summer.

The book, titled "Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC," is written by written by journalist Nick Purewal and will include the first interviews with Abramovich in four years.

Purewal spoke with Abramovich on several occasions in Abu Dhabi and Istanbul, where he now lives, and spoke to him about his initial takeover of Chelsea FC in 2003, the sanction against him, his efforts in the peace process for the Ukrainian war and even his suspected poisoning in March 2022.

Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea in 2022 following 19 years of ownership. (Image: Getty)

Under the 19-year ownership of Abramovich, Chelsea enjoyed the most successful period in their history, winning 21 major titles including five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two Champions League and two Europa Leagues.

The Russian became known for splashing the cash during his time at Chelsea, spending more than £2billion on player transfers and a further £90million on hiring and sacking 13 different managers, including Jose Mourinho and club legend Frank Lampard.

Since the sale, a June 2023 report from the Daily Mirror revealed that Abramovich acquired a property in a neighbourhood of the Turkish city of Istanbul, where his yacht is also often seen.

Purewal's book looking over Abramavich's time at Chelsea and the 95-day sale will be released by Biteback Publishing this summer.