Irish Examiner view: Ukraine crisis forces Abramovich out of the game

Opinions are divided but Russian oligarch had a transformative impact on the Premier League

Mon, 28 Feb, 2022 - 07:10

It was inevitable from the moment that Vladimir Putin made his rambling address providing “friendship and mutual aid with Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic” and his armour started rolling from the Crimea, and his client state of Belarus, that the jig would be up for Roman Abramovich.

Abramovich, the Russian who possesses Israeli and Portuguese citizenship and no longer lives in London, is perhaps the West’s best-known oligarch through his ownership of Chelsea Football Club.

As such, he is a perfect target for virtue-signalling MPs wanting to find a low-risk and low-cost symbol to reinforce their unity with Ukraine.

The clamour only increased in volume over the 72 hours which preceded his decision to hand over control to the club’s charitable foundation.

As the sporting world from Formula 1 to hockey and soccer turned its back on Russia, its oligarchs and high-profile sponsors came under great scrutiny.

Abramovich’s statement raised more questions than it did provide answers and was widely criticised ahead of yesterday’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool when the billionaire made no reference to the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

The Russian, whose grandfather died in a gulag, also came under fire in Britain’s parliament when a Labour MP cited a Home Office document drawn up in 2019 which claimed the Chelsea owner had links to the Russian state, as well as to “corrupt activity and practices”.

His daughter, Sofia, struck a different tone when she posted a message criticising the Russian military action on Instagram which included the statement: “The biggest and most successful lie of Kremlin’s propaganda is that most Russians stand with Putin.”

Abramovich has had a transformative impact on the Premier League, much to the irritation of rival supporters.

His arrival heralded the end of the duopoly which then consisted of Arsenal and Manchester United swapping the league title between them.

David Dein, then vice-chairman of the Gunners, famously said: “Roman Abramovich has parked his tanks on our lawn and is firing five pound notes at us.” While there will be many who celebrate the apparent departure of Abramovich, Chelsea fans will mourn the exit, if it indeed comes to pass, of the man who transformed their club, the current European champions.