Moscow March 2 2022: Billionaire Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich says he will sell Chelsea FC, promising to donate the net proceeds to a charitable foundation for the benefit of “all victims of the war in Ukraine”.
“This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery,” he said in a statement.
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Abramovich, who has denied close financial links to Russian President Vladimir Putin or the Kremlin but has come under increasing scrutiny in recent days, says the sale will not be fast-tracked.
He says he will not be asking for the loans of £1.5bn he has made to the club to be repaid.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called today for the 55-year-old to face sanctions, saying he is a “person of interest to the Home Office because of his links to the Russian state”.
