Former Chelsea captain John Terry has described Blues owner Roman Abramovich as "the best owner in the world" after the Russian billionaire announced the sale of the club.
And Abramovich confirmed - yesterday, Wednesday - that he would offer Chelsea for sale after 19 years loaded with the cup at Stamford Bridge.
The Russian billionaire bought the "Blues" for 140 million pounds (188 million dollars) in 2003, and during this period he won 19 titles.
The "blues" under Abramovich were crowned with:
5 English Premier League titles.
Two European Champions League titles.
5 FA Cup titles.
3 titles in the League Cup.
Two European League titles.
Two titles in the Charity Shield Cup.
European Super Cup title.
Club World Cup title.
Among these titles, Terry, the Blues legend, won 5 titles in the English Premier League and the FA Cup, in addition to the European Champions League title.
With Abramovich's tenure at the club now expected to end, the former captain paid tribute to the long-time owner of Chelsea.
"Thank you Roman, the best owner in the world," Terry, 41, wrote on Instagram.
Abramovich offered Chelsea for sale after his fortune came under government sanctions due to the Russian war on Ukraine, and pledged to donate the money to help the victims of the war in Ukraine.
"I have always taken decisions in the interest of the club," Abramovich said in a statement. "In the current situation, I have taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the interest of the club, the fans, the staff, as well as the club's sponsors and partners."
The 55-year-old billionaire indicated that "the sale of the club will not be accelerated, but will follow due legal procedures."
He explained that he would not ask for the money he provided to the club in the form of loans, and said, "It was never about profits or money for me, but pure passion for the game and the club."
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Abramovich considered that the option to sell "was a very difficult decision, and it pains me to be separated from the club in this way, however I think it is in the interest of the club."
The billionaire - who also holds dual Israeli and Portuguese citizenship - also revealed that he will cancel Chelsea's debts of 1.5 billion pounds.
The decision to sell came after pressure mounted on Abramovich since the outbreak of the Russian war on Ukraine, and some politicians called for sanctions against the Russian billionaire because of his closeness to President Vladimir Putin.
The announcement came just hours before the European champions' grueling 3-2 win over Luton Town in the FA Cup.
Chelsea was shaken and forced to return twice in the result, while it was clear that the players were affected by Abramovich's announcement.
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But coach Thomas Tuchel believes his players have not and will not be affected by him.
The German also confirmed that if Abramovich believed that the decision to sell Chelsea was correct, he would take this step.
If Abramovich believes that the decision to sell Chelsea is correct, he will take this step (Reuters)
He said, "I heard it a while ago but things are still in the beginning, we hear rumors all day, when we have team meetings and eat together everyone talks about it, it's big news, let's wait and see what is the best and see what comes today."
"I think every decision he makes is the right one, it's his choice, his club, and I don't have to comment. We try to cut out the noise and keep our focus, which is not always easy, but we showed today that we can do it."
Abramovich became one of the most powerful Russian businessmen, with a huge fortune after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at 13.3 billion dollars.