Roman Abramovich Living Very Different Life in 'Exile' Amid Chelsea 74 Charges
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is now living a very different life three years on from selling the Premier League club.
Abramovich bought Chelsea for £140m in 2003 and would oversee the most successful period in the club's history.
During his time as owner, Chelsea won 19 major trophies in as many years, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League twice.
The Russian billionaire was eventually forced to sell Chelsea in 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine due to alleged ties with the Kremlin.
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The UK Prime Minister at the time, Boris Johnson, said his government had obtained 'clear evidence' that Abramovich was 'connected to the Vladimir Putin regime' - a claim the former Blues boss denied.
Abramovich sold Chelsea to a consortium co-led by Todd Boehly in May 2022 for £4.25 billion.
A spokesperson for Abramovich stated via The Athletic that money from the sale - which would be frozen due to being subject to EU sanctions - would be 'earmarked for [a charitable] foundation'.
Abramovich's time in charge of Chelsea is now under fresh scrutiny, after the Premier League club was hit with 74 charges by the Football Association (FA) on Thursday.
Dozens of potential rule breaches are alleged to have taken place during the Abramovich era between 2009 to 2022, and are related to regulations around agents, intermediaries and 'third-party investment in players'.
Chelsea's new ownership self-reported the club to the Premier League, the FA and UEFA after uncovering the alleged rules breaches during their takeover process.
The Premier League launched its own investigation, which remains ongoing, into the Blues in 2023 after leaked documents showed how Abramovich allegedly used offshore companies to make transactions to agents and associates.
These payments were worth tens of millions of pounds and could have impacted financial fair play rules if declared.
Chelsea already reached a 'settlement' with UEFA in 2023 to pay a €10m (£8.6m) fine for 'submitting incomplete financial information' during the Abramovich era.
Roman Abramovich under new investigation
Chelsea's FA charges are not the only recent controversy linked to Abramovich.
The Russian is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Jersey authorities over allegations of corruption and money laundering, according to newly released court documents.
The Guardian report that Jersey authorities have been 'battling companies suspected of being connected to the Russian oligarch' in Switzerland's courts as part of an investigation into his wealth.
According to Swiss court documents, Jersey investigators are looking into how Abramovich acquired his wealth during the rise of capitalism in Russia in the 1990s and 2000s, amid allegations of corruption and money laundering.
Abramovich has denied the allegations and said, through his lawyers, that any suggestion he was involved in criminal activity was false.
Where is Roman Abramovich now?
The Mirror reported in June 2023 that Abramovich had acquired a property in Istanbul, Turkey after his movement in Europe was restricted by the EU.
It came after his Eclipse superyacht was pictured in the country in 2022.
The Athletic later reported that Abramovich had spent time between Istanbul, Sochi in Russia, and Israel's Tel Aviv since relinquishing control of Chelsea.
The report added that he now 'rarely keeps up with football'.
In a separate report, the Telegraph claimed that Abramovich's yacht had been moored in the Turkish port of Marmaris.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Abramovich failed in a bid to overturn the EU sanctions against him.
He appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union to lift restrictions against him, including an asset freeze and his European travel ban, arguing that the measures were unfair and had damaged his reputation.
But the court dismissed Abramovich's claim on Wednesday, calling the sanctions "necessary and appropriate".
Topics: Roman Abramovich, Premier League, Football
Rory O'Callaghan