Roman Abramovich reveals inside story of Chelsea takeover and opens up on UK sanctions

A new book will be released this summer where former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will break his silence on the sale of the club to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022.

was sanctioned by the UK Government due to alleged links to Vladimir Putin and Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine and the billionaire sold his shares of Chelsea to and in May 2022 for £2.5billion. The former Chelsea owner has now spoken about the inside story of exactly what happened when in a two-part interview with author Nick Purewal, for his book Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC.

The Russian notoriously does not take many official interviews, so when the book is released in the summer, it will be a rare insight into his mindset during the takeover and what exactly happened when he was essentially forced into selling the club. After putting Chelsea up for sale in early-March 2022, detailing his decision: "I would like to address the speculation in the media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea FC.

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"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."

The funds from Abramovich's sale remain in a frozen bank account almost three years on from handing the club over to Boehly and Clearlake.