Roman Abramovich has reportedly scrapped £1billion plans to redevelop Chelsea’s stadium — because ‘he is unwilling to invest in a country where he can’t work’.

In short, his investment visa is expired and the UK government refused to extend it due to conflict with Russia....

This is big and crazy, if this happens again and again (politics and football dont mix well). Chelsea might face the biggest lost in financial until some other billionaire steps in, until then, the club might face back to square 0. :(

Source: https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/31/roman-abramovich-drops-plan-for-new-1bn-chelsea-stadium-and-quits-visa-request-7595154/?ito=cbshare

@tuan_jinn But you know what mix more with football? Money. Don't worry as long as Abramovich use his ressource right, it'll work out. The only way I see thing going to hell is if he really goes mad and doesn't do everything he can to renew his visa. Anyway, it sure a situation to watch out for but I really doubt its going to get ugly or end up with him selling the club.

His visa extension was refused until he proves the source of the money. Imagine he won't be able to prove where his billions came from...

He had to prove that 2mil (before Chelsea purchase) came from legitimate sources. Hard to believe he can't even muster that up but that's what a Russian mobster with ties to Putin leaves you with.

I'm pretty sure we can cope without Abramovich. Plus the stadium plans on hold aren't a direct cause of his visa situation. I think it's more because of the unfavourable investment climate.

I'm pretty sure we can cope without Abramovich. Plus the stadium plans on hold aren't a direct cause of his visa situation. I think it's more because of the unfavourable investment climate.

Uh huh. I may have missed it, but I'm fair certain an "unfavorable investment climate" has very little to do with the decision based off of the fact that the stadium project was even begun in the first place, and the amount of money Abramovich has pumped into the club (and really hasn't been doing so for the past few years). Best outcome for Chelsea would be a new ownership group that is willing to splash and take advantage of the system that Abramovich and co built that insures high player sales via the loan system to offset big purchases. If Abramovich cannot prove his money was legitimately earned, he may have to sell Chelsea at a pretty low price, and who knows what the unknown brings.

I cannot see Chelsea losing much of their power and influence due to this, but understand that a worst case scenario is pretty plausible if Abramovich loses control.

@Eden & @Emo & @Sun:
Chelsea before Abramovich was nothing like the Chelsea now, a mid table club, with occasionally brilliant season. no more than Everton.

Lucky for them a foundation was set, their fan base is big, real big now, and the trophy cabinet are filled more. Enough to build certain image and tradition of recent time. That enables new investors to come in and continue success.

If the investor is rich and ambitious enough they will continue, otherwise go back to ground zero. I'm more thinking toward the first option. This is more inline with what Sun Flash said

But like Emo mentioned, if Abranmovich uses his resource well, and I'm pretty sure he would. He has spent so much and earned so much respect in football world to give up and sell the club. I dont think he would go for that. He want to make a statement to whoever involved and in charge of the situation.

@quikzy & @rai: yeahh, lolllzzz all these sugar daddy would find it rather hard to prove their source of incomes. That's how they are so rich. Or they would have to pay sh!t load of money for some of their white money.

So does those Qatar oil investor, which is worse IMO. :(

Don't forget that if a new investor does come along, that the club itself owes Roman Abramovic £1 billion; a debt he has never written off. If someone else wants to buy the club, they will need to underwrite that £1 billion, ON TOP of whatever the actual cost of the club is.

Considering that Manchester City cost Mansour £150m a decade ago, with none of the trophy haul that Chelsea have, you could be looking at a takeover bid of anywhere between £1.5 billion to £2 billion.

That's a lot of money for someone to spend, to save Chelsea, if Roman walks.

This is the kind of risk you run when your owner is a tycoon heavily involved in the black market. Unfortunate for Chelsea, but at least they got some really good seasons under the Abramovich era.

I agree about the money talk. But guys, Roman will be missed anyway, ok it’s his money that helped to build the club but his « Vision «  is the real factor that brought success to Chelsea. He brought unknown Mourinho, genius move. He may have won CL with Porto but he was still not regarded as a top coach.
He managed the club smoothly and Chelsea aren’t 100% sure that the new ownership will be as good sportive wise. Financially Chelsea FC has became a healthy foundation and the fanbase is extended everywhere around the club. But how many ones have sportive vision and would prefer Sportive success over financial ? You can blame the guy for x reason, no one would take from him the fact that he handled his buisness very good except dealing with coaches, no one is perfect but he reacted perfectly each time the club needed a boost.
Im against all this anti Russian acts, actually Russia only defend their interests and their security while its NATO and USA who target them.
The boycott of winter games, the propaganda about dopping from Russian athleetes, Tennis woman Sharapova denied a guest card for Rolan Garros last season, the non stop media war in our TVs... it really should stop and specially sportively...

I think fans should support Roman because he gave the club a lot, he wrote their best History lines and was present quite often in the stadium. We can’t say that about all presidents let alone owners...

@Sun

The club themselves said this.... To say that the decision wasn't based on this is cynical.

“Chelsea Football Club announces today that it has put its new stadium
project on hold. No further pre-construction design and planning work
will occur,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“The club does not have a time frame set for reconsideration of its
decision. The decision was made due to the current unfavourable
investment climate.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-england-che-stadium/soccer-chelsea-suspends-new-stadium-plans-due-to-unfavourable-investment-climate-idUSL5N1T23XB

As for if we can survive without Abramovich's money, we'll only see if that does happen. Either way, there are other suitors if Abramovich can't stay, like Jim Ratcliffe who would arguably bring even more money to the club.

@tiki: agree.

Not being hypocrit, i regards Russian money as the same as Qatar oil money or as any other shady business.

Eden : Chelsea doesn’t need money injections anymore, the institution has its own autonomy and earnings. Is this ratcliffe has any football manag Science ? Arsenal also have billioneer owner...

Chelsea doesn’t need money injections anymore

It sure will do if Roman walks away. It will need over a billion pounds' worth of money injection. Chelsea only just recently stopped losing money every year.

He brought unknown Mourinho, genius move.

Yeah, that guy that you've spent years calling the Antichrist of football.

Also, you've kind of treated Chelsea the same way, all those years. Why the sudden change of heart? The timing is very curious...

After how many years investing billions upon billions is now they want to know the source of his wealth sound childish to me

The club themselves said this.... To say that the decision wasn't based on this is cynical.

lol what'd you think they were going to say "our owner is being audited for his money being shady af so we can't build our stadium until he's cleared." Yeah right.

Very unfortunate i must confess. If they don't want him again they should simply say so and not all this hid and seek game is going affect future investors too.