Virginie Phulpin 10:53 a.m., March 3, 2022
The emblematic owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, announced on Wednesday the sale of the London football club because of the war in Ukraine, while the Russian billionaire is known to be close to Vladimir Putin.
The editorialist of Europe 1 Virginie Phulpin believes that he will have transformed the discipline by being the pioneer of football business.
EDITORIAL
It's an earthquake in Chelsea.
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday that he was leaving the English club, which is now up for sale.
The famous ex-owner close to Vladimir Putin has been in turmoil in England since the start of the war in Ukraine.
He therefore decided to hand over, and he leaves having considerably transformed football, analyzes the editorialist of Europe 1 Virginie Phulpin.
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The foot business pioneer
It cannot be said that there was no money in football before Roman Abramovich.
But he was the absolute emblem of football business before giving ideas to others.
A+B proof that when you come to a club with bottomless reserves, you win.
The billionaire took over Chelsea in 2003. And from the start, he spent millions with the avowed aim of ruling England and Europe.
Before his arrival, Chelsea's heyday dated back to the 1950s. And with magic rubles, he turned them into a European ogre.
A title of champion of England from 2005, before winning four others.
It took him more patience to win the Champions League.
In this competition, money does not bring happiness instantly, PSG can talk about it.
But he succeeded.
A first time in 2012, and last season.
A debt of nearly two billion euros
Roman Abramovich took Chelsea to another dimension.
And not just Chelsea.
It is by following his "model" that other billionaires, investment funds, states have got their hands on European clubs, especially English ones, and have also made them winning machines.
If financial fair play exists, this UEFA rule to prevent clubs from spending more than they earn is partly, initially, to counter Roman Abramovich and his bottomless pit.
Not sure if it really worked.
If Chelsea is for sale for more than three billion euros today, it is because the parent company of the club has a debt of almost two billion towards Roman Abramovich.
He spent his time putting money back into the machine.
Abramovich will donate the sale to the victims of the war in Ukraine
Roman Abramovich spent 19 years at Chelsea, but there remains something of a mystery in English football.
It has revolutionized everything but it remains an enigma.
A paradox.
The ultimate symbol of money and football, and at the same time the one who signs "Roman" at the bottom of his press release to announce the sale of Chelsea.
Public enemy number 1 in England, close to Vladimir Putin, but at the same time the one who will not receive a penny from the sale of his club since he announced that he would donate everything to the victims of the war in Ukraine.
A great communication blow for a man who has communicated so little for 19 years.
Roman Abramovich is the one who tipped football into the world of bottomless boxes, but who was still an owner whose face we knew.
Chelsea was a one man club.
We've never seen that anywhere else.
The one who proclaims his love for Chelsea, and who says at the same time that if he had to do it again, he might not do it again.
In short, it's the end of an era, but we don't really know which one.