According to reports, Roman Abramovich has finally spoken about the circumstances of the controversial sale of Chelsea months after the unusual and dramatic transfer. The Russian billionaire, who led Chelsea to its most successful era in history, was under intense pressure in England and had no choice but to relinquish his beloved club.

The British government claimed that Abramovich had close financial and political ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Amid the tensions at the start of the war in Ukraine, the British government sanctioned him. Abramovich concluded that he could no longer continue as Chelsea’s owner after being sanctioned by the British government. Interestingly, the British government’s sanctions against Abramovich are still in place.

When the British forced Abramovich to sell the club, a consortium led by American Todd Boehly entered negotiations and purchased Chelsea from him using funds from the Clearlake company.

Abramovich has conducted two interviews about these events, the full transcripts of which will be published for the first time in a book about Chelsea set to be released this summer.

John Obi Mikel, Chelsea’s former star, said in his podcast today that he is aware of the content of Abramovich’s interview. He stated: “Abramovich is very upset. He is sad because he had to lose his child. Chelsea was like a beloved child to him. Chelsea was Abramovich’s club. He loved this club wholeheartedly—not just the players but also the fans.”

When Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003, the club was considered a small and unsuccessful team in England. However, in the following years, he transformed Chelsea into one of the most successful clubs in Europe, winning 21 major trophies. Under Abramovich, Chelsea won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup five times, the Champions League twice, and the Europa League twice.