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| Roman Abramovich said he had made the ‘incredibly difficult decision’ which pains him |
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and his players emerged from a tumultuous day with victory on the pitch on Wednesday but their 3-2 FA Cup win at Luton Town was a side-show after Russian owner Roman Abramovich announced he was selling the club.
Abramovich has not only transformed Chelsea into a trophy-winning machine during his 19 years as owner, he also changed the landscape of English football.
But after Russia invaded Ukraine last week and the countryโs oligarchs were targeted with sanctions in response, the metals magnate announced before kickoff at Luton that he was selling the European and world champions โin the clubโs best interestsโ.
Chelseaโs fans sang Abramovichโs name at Kenilworth Road and their new favourite chant โWeโve Won it Allโ.
Lutonโs fans responded by singing โYou Bought it Allโ โ a reference to the reported 1.5 billion pounds in Abramovich loans that enabled Chelsea to scoop up the worldโs best talent.
Tuchel said he was focused on his job of winning football matches on a seismic day for the London side who have won five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues since 2003.
โEven if I want to answer I donโt exactly know what it means in the very short term I think for us as a team, staff and players,โ Tuchel said. โHopefully, not too much or maybe it will change even maybe nothing.
โBut yeah, itโs a big situation and (the players) can understand it. So there will be a lot of reports but we try to do what we do to cancel the noise and to stay focused which is not always easy.โ
Speculation is rife about what happens next at Chelsea.
Swiss business tycoon Hansjoerg Wyss was quoted by newspaper Blick saying he was considering buying the club.
โItโs big news and will be big change, but I am also never afraid of change and Iโll focus on what I can influence,โ Tuchel, the 11th full-time manager hired by Abramovich, said. โIโm not worried. I feel privileged and in a good place.
โIโm not a person who worries about things I canโt influence Itโs big news and a big change but I am not scared of change.โ
Asked by reporters whether he would speak to the players about the situation, Tuchel said: Me personally? I donโt think I have to talk about it. I do not know as much as maybe you think.
โIโm not a CEO or a member of the board. I am very sure the club will speak to us and to the players and itโs also necessary. I cannot clarify the situation.โ
REUTERS
