Chelsea's Abramovich era: More than £2billion spent, 15 managers & 21 trophies

Roman Abramovich's days as Chelsea owner will soon be over having announced his decision to sell the Premier League club.

Just a week ago it seemed unthinkable the Russian billionaire would get rid of his most prized asset, with his tenure at the club approaching 19 years.

But Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed the picture dramatically.

There have been calls for for the UK Government to impose sanctions on Abramovich after a number of Russian oligarchs have already fallen under such penalties.

In a lengthy statement on Tuesday, Abramovich said: “I would like to address the speculation in media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea FC.

“As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the Club's best interest at heart.

“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club's sponsors and partners.

“The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid.

“This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure

passion

for the game and Club. Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.

“The foundation will be 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.

“Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the Club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club.

“I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person.

“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements. Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.”

Rightly or wrongly, Abramovich has changed the face of the Premier League and the Russian has been the model billionaires around the globe have hoped to follow in their own moves into the sporting realm.

John Terry, who captained the club to great success under Abramovich, paid tribute to his former boss, calling him the best owner in the world.

The 55-year-old purchased Chelsea in 2003 for just £60million, at a time when the west Londoners had not won a league title since the 1955/56 season.

Chelsea's Abramovich era in numbers

£2.1billion – Money spent on players

£1.16billion – Value of players sold

15 – Number of managers

1,449 – Premier League points

21 – Trophies won since 2003

5 – Premier League titles

2 – Champions Leagues

5 – FA Cups

3 – League Cups

2 – Europa Leagues

2 – Community Shields

1 – UEFA Super Cup

1 – FIFA Club World Cup

Abramovich flooded the Premier League club with cash, spending more than £150million in his first season.

Claudio Ranieri was given 13 new players, including the likes of Hernan Crespo, Adrian Mutu, Juan Sebastian Veron and Joe Cole.

The results were evident in that first campaign as they finished second in the league – there's no shame in being runners-up to Arsenal's Invincibles – and reached the Champions League semi-finals.

But we got a first glimpse of a trademark during the Abramovich era, the first managerial sacking, as Ranieri was let go after that campaign.

Jose Mourinho was brought in and ushered in a dominant period of the club's history.

Back-to-back Premier League titles followed, the first of 19 trophies claimed during the Russian era in charge.

Multiple FA Cups and League Cups soon came, along with Champions League crowns under Roberto Di Matteo and Thomas Tuchel, Europa League gongs under Rafael Benitez and Maurizio Sarri, with Chelsea completing the set by winning the Club World Cup last month.

Blues fans have enjoyed the most successful period in the club's history with more than £2billion spent on transfers.

Their fears will now be for what their club's future looks like which, until this week, looked very secure.

And talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook believes the Londoners may struggle to maintain their incredible success without Abramovich's backing.

“I think what we can say is that it's unlikely Chelsea will be able to find an owner with pockets as deep as Roman Abramovich, the man who has bought them so much success over the last two decades,” he said on the White and Jordan show.

“If a sale does go through, I think it will change the landscape at Stamford Bridge quite dramatically and Chelsea might find it difficult to compete with the likes of Man City in the immediate future.”