UK government threatens to SUE Roman Abramovich over Chelsea sale

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 3 Jun 2025 10:45 BST
• 3 min read

News

The UK government has threatened legal action against Roman Abramovich in an attempt to seize the £2.5 billion earned through his sale of Chelsea in 2022.

Abramovich was sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, due to alleged ties to Vladimir Putin, and he was forced to sell Chelsea to American consortium Clearlake Capital after being granted a special license by the UK government.

The £2.5bn in proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale, however, and although the Russian oligarch can't access these funds, the money still legally belongs to him.

Upon the sale of Chelsea, Abramovich announced the money would be donated “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

However, the UK government believes funds should only go directly to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, and they are prepared to sue Abramovich in order to make this happen.

A joint statement from Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy read: “The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion.

“We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach an agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.

“While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible.

Roman Abramovich at Chelsea

During his 19-year spell as Chelsea owner, Abramovich helped the club win 21 trophies, including the Premier League title on five occasions and the Champions League twice.

He spent over £2 billion on new signings across his stint at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea established themselves as one of the best teams in world football under his ownership.

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