Tag: Chelsea

  • Abramovich To Sell Chelsea With ‘Net Proceeds’ Going To Ukraine War Victims

    Abramovich To Sell Chelsea With ‘Net Proceeds’ Going To Ukraine War Victims

    Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich said on Wednesday he had made the “incredibly difficult” decision to sell the Premier League club, pledging that proceeds would go to victims of the war in Ukraine.

    The billionaire believes it is in the “best interest” of the Champions League holders if he parts ways with the club he has transformed since he bought it in 2003.

    The dramatic development comes days after Abramovich said he was handing over control of Chelsea to trustees of its charitable foundation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart,” Abramovich said in a statement.

    “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.”

    It is a seismic moment for English football after nearly two decades during which Abramovich’s team has consistently challenged for the sport’s top honours.

    Chelsea have won 19 major trophies in the Abramovich era, including their first two Champions League crowns and five Premier League titles.

    But the 55-year-old’s reign will come to an end in the fall-out from Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.

    Abramovich, alleged to have close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not been named on a growing British sanctions list targeting Russian banks, businesses and pro-Kremlin tycoons.

    Bu the Chelsea owner’s concern about potential seizing of assets is understood to have sparked his move to off-load the Blues.

    Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and US investor Todd Boehly, a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, are reported to be two of the parties now preparing a joint bid for the Premier League giants.

    Wyss, 86, told Swiss newspaper Blick he had been offered the chance to buy the London club because Abramovich wanted “to get rid of Chelsea quickly” before potential political sanctions took hold.

    It is believed Abramovich’s asking price for Chelsea will be around £3 billion ($4 billion), with American bank the Raine Group reported to have been asked to handle the sale.

    – Privilege of a lifetime’

    Chelsea’s debt to Abramovich currently stands at around £1.5 billion but he will not ask for loans to be repaid, while he is also said to be set to sell his London property portfolio.

    Abramovich, who made a rare appearance to watch Chelsea win the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last month, has pledged to donate any net proceeds from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.

    “The sale of the club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process,” he said.

    “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.”

    Abramovich paid £140 million to buy Chelsea and the shrewd appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager helped shatter Manchester United and Arsenal’s stranglehold on the Premier League.

    He announced the impending sale less than an hour before Chelsea’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Championship side Luton.

    Speaking before the match, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, told the BBC: “There are some things around the club and within the club we can not influence, so we were pretty busy preparing this game.”

    Abramovich said he hopes to make one more visit to Stamford Bridge to say goodbye before the curtain falls on his 19-year reign.

    “Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the club in this manner,” he said.

    He added: “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.”

  • Chelsea, Tottenham sneak into Carabao Cup fourth round, Manchester United eliminated

    Chelsea, Tottenham sneak into Carabao Cup fourth round, Manchester United eliminated

     A much-changed Chelsea side crept into the fourth round of the League Cup as they beat Aston Villa 4-3 on penalty kicks after their Stamford Bridge clash ended 1-1 on Wednesday.

    Manchester United crashed out though, as West Ham United avenged a weekend loss in the English Premier League to claim a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford with Manuel Lanzini scoring early.

    Tottenham Hotspur surrendered an early 2-0 lead at Wolverhampton Wanderers but eventually won 3-2 on penalty kicks.

    It was manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s second win of the season against his former club.

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel made 10 changes to his starting line-up.

    German striker Timo Werner took his opportunity to give his side the lead in the 54th minute as he headed a Reece James cross past Aston Villa goalkeeper Jed Steer.

    It was Werner’s first goal of the season.

    He wasted another chance to make it 2-0 before Aston Villa hit back through youngster Cameron Archer’s header to send the tie into the penalty kicks shootout.

    Ben Chilwell struck the bar when he could have won it for Chelsea, but James made no mistake as his penalty kick found the top corner of the net.

    Arsenal cruised into the fourth round with a 3-0 home win against third-tier AFC Wimbledon while Leicester City put aside their stuttering league form to win 2-0 away at Millwall.

    Brighton and Hove Albion’s impressive start to the season continued as they cruised past Swansea City 2-0.

  • EPL: Chelsea Beats Tottenham 3-0, Move Top Of League Table

    EPL: Chelsea Beats Tottenham 3-0, Move Top Of League Table

    Chelsea produced a masterclass on Sunday, beating London rivals Tottenham 0-3 in a Premier League showdown. The victory catapulted the European champions to the top of the table with 13 points after five games.

    Both clubs also paid an emotional tribute to their former striker Jimmy Greaves on Sunday.

    Thiago Silva put Chelsea ahead early in the second half before N’Golo Kante bagged his first club goal since December 2019.

    Antonio Rudiger rounded off Chelsea’s dominant display with a stoppage-time strike as Thomas Tuchel’s latest tactical masterclass paid rich dividends.

    Tuchel’s unbeaten side sit top of the Premier League after winning four of their first five games.

    Chelsea have only conceded one league goal so far this season despite a tricky fixture list that featured trips to Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.

    They face another test of their title credentials next weekend when champions Manchester City visit Stamford Bridge.

    It was fitting that two of Greaves’ old clubs met on the day he passed away aged 81.

    Hailed as “the finest marksman this country has ever seen” by Tottenham, Greaves is the club’s record scorer with 266 goals in 379 appearances between 1961 and 1970.

    The charismatic Londoner started his career with a prolific spell at Chelsea and netted 44 times in 57 appearances for England, featuring in their 1966 World Cup-winning squad.

    An image of Greaves wearing Tottenham’s famous white shirt was displayed on screens inside and outside the club’s north London stadium before kick-off.

    In a moving tribute, several former Tottenham greats, including Greaves’ old team-mate Martin Chivers, lined up on the touchline to join both teams and the 62,000 crowd in a minute’s applause.

    “Jimmy was an incredible player, a legend for club and country. It’s frightening really how good he was,” said Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who is second behind Greaves with 223 goals for the club.

    Kane had urged Tottenham to “put in a great performance” in Greaves’ honour.

    But the England captain was unable to land his first league goal this season as Chelsea showed the kind of ruthless instincts Greaves would have approved of.

    In a tight first half, Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen shot just over from the edge of the area before Kai Havertz poked narrowly wide after Marcos Alonso’s cross caused chaos in the Tottenham defence.

    With Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy absent after complaining of a hip injury in midweek Champions League win over Zenit St Petersburg, Kepa Arrizabalaga made his first start this season.

    Tottenham’s frenetic tempo meant Kepa had to stay alert and he rushed off his line to save bravely at Son Heung-min’s feet after the South Korean sprinted onto Giovani Lo Celso’s pass.

    In a game-changing move, Tuchel sent on France midfielder Kante for Mason Mount at half-time, neutralising Tottenham’s high press in the process.

    Where Chelsea had found it hard to take control before Kante’s introduction, now they were in the groove and Silva struck in the 49th minute.

    Alonso’s corner found the Brazilian eight yards out and he rose above Dele Alli to thump a superb header past Hugo Lloris.

    It took Eric Dier’s agile goal-line clearance to deny Chelsea a second when the defender blocked Alonso’s close-range strike from Cesar Azpilicueta’s pass.

    But Chelsea were rampant and they struck again in the 57th minute when Kante’s 25-yard drive took a wicked deflection off Dier and trickled past the wrong-footed Lloris.

    Tottenham lost heart as their second successive league defeat loomed and Rudiger rubbed salt into the wounds with a fine finish from Timo Werner’s cross in the final moments.

  • Returning hero Lukaku sets Chelsea on way to 2-0 win at Arsenal

    Returning hero Lukaku sets Chelsea on way to 2-0 win at Arsenal

     A goal by Romelu Lukaku on his second Chelsea debut and a strike by defender Reece James earned the Blues a comfortable 2-0 win at London rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

    It was Chelsea’s second victory in as many games at the start of the 2021 /2022 English Premier League (EPL) season.

    An almost unstoppable Lukaku needed only 15 minutes to get off the mark for the European champions following his reported 97.5 million pounds (132.8 million dollars) transfer from Inter Milan, tapping in a cross played into his path by James.

    The wing-back scored Chelsea’s second goal himself 20 minutes later, taking his time to fire past goalkeeper Bernd Leno after being found in acres of space by Mason Mount.

    Lukaku, who never scored a league goal for the Blues in his first spell at Stamford Bridge, showed why Chelsea were prepared to break their spending record to bring him back to the club, seven years after he left London.

    The Belgium international provided the Blues with the kind of muscular presence in attack they have lacked since the departure of Diego Costa in 2017, both when running at Arsenal’s defence and holding the ball up with his back to goal.

    He was involved in the move that led to his goal and only a reflex save by Leno denied him a second when the German palmed Lukaku’s point-blank header onto the bar with 15 minutes left.

    Asked to describe his performance, Lukaku told Sky Sports: “Dominant, I would say. Dominant but like, you know, like I said, I try to improve every time, I have a long way to go, but today it was good to win and to start well.”

    Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said he was very happy with the way Lukaku had settled into the team so quickly.

    “He gives something to our game that we did not have so much, like to protect balls and to play very direct in front and to the last line,” Tuchel told Sky Sports.

    “You cannot start better than with a goal. He almost scored a second one – it was a big save by Bernd Leno – and he assisted some half chances and chances. It’s a good start and we have to improve from here.”

    Arsenal, who lost their opening game to promoted Brentford, were lacking several key players through injury and illness and rarely threatened to disrupt Tuchel’s well-drilled side.

    The Blues, who kept another of their trademark clean sheets, could afford to start with star names such as N’Golo Kante, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech on the bench.

  • Chelsea add UEFA Super Cup to Champions League trophy

    Chelsea add UEFA Super Cup to Champions League trophy

    Substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made two shootout saves as Champions League winners Chelsea beat Spain’s Villarreal 6-5 on penalties to add the UEFA Super Cup to their trophy collection on Wednesday.

    Extra time had ended 1-1 at Belfast’s Windsor Park ground, with Chelsea replacing goalkeeper Edouard Mendy with Kepa in the final seconds in what turned out to be a master-stroke as penalties loomed.

    The freshest player on a field of tired legs saved first from Aissa Mandi at 1-1 and then made the winning stop at 6-5 when Villarreal captain and 2010 World Cup winner Raul Albiol hit the ball to the bottom left.

    Mendy was one of the first to congratulate his team mate, with Chelsea lifting the trophy for a second time.

    Hakim Ziyech had put Chelsea ahead in the 27th minute, sweeping in from 12 yards after a perfectly measured cross from Kai Havertz on the left.

    The Morocco international, an unused substitute when Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League final in Porto on May 29, then went off injured four minutes before the break.

    He returned with his arm in a sling to watch the rest of the match from the bench.

    Villarreal, the Europa League holders with a noisy contingent of some 1,000 fans among the 13,000-strong crowd on a clear evening in Northern Ireland, hit the woodwork either side of halftime.

    Their equaliser came as no surprise, with Gerard Moreno – who scored against Manchester United before the Europa League final in Gdansk went to penalties – came to the rescue in the 73rd with a side-foot finish after a back-heel from Boulaye Dia.

    It was Moreno’s eighth goal in his last nine European appearances for Villarreal.

  • Chelsea beats Man City to win Champions League

    Chelsea beats Man City to win Champions League

    Chelsea has won the Champions League for the second time after beating Manchester City in a thrilling final in Porto.

    Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal just before half-time, running on to Mason Mount’s excellent ball before knocking it past Ederson and then rolling into the empty net.


    City, who were looking to win the competition for the first time, never really showed the imposing dominance that had brought them the 2020-21 Premier League title, with Pep Guardiola’s bold team selection having failed to come off.

    The former Barcelona boss had left Fernandinho and Rodri on the bench as he named an attacking line-up but they struggled to take control of midfield in their absence.

    They did have a good chance to score before Havertz’s goal but Antonio Rudiger made an excellent block to deny Phil Foden.

    Riyad Mahrez flashed a shot just wide in the final seconds but it was not to be for City as Chelsea held firm to claim the trophy.

  • Liverpool, Chelsea claim last UCL spots, as Aguero bows out with brace

    Liverpool, Chelsea claim last UCL spots, as Aguero bows out with brace

    Liverpool and Chelsea claimed the last two remaining UEFA Champions League spots in Sunday’s English Premier League (EPL) finale on Sunday.

    Also, Sergio Aguero struck twice in his farewell match for champions Manchester City.

    Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Anfield from Sadio Mane’s brace to place third behind Manchester City and Manchester United while Chelsea could afford a 1-2 loss at Aston Villa.

    The Blues finished fourth because FA Cup winners Leicester City blew a 2-1 lead in the final 14 minutes in a 4-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

    Leicester City consequently had to settle for fifth as last season, owing to an own goal from goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and a Gareth Bale brace.

    Tottenham’s win gave them seventh place for a place in the new European Conference League, at the expense of London rivals Arsenal.

    The Gunners 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion was then to no avail.

    Manchester City were meanwhile already assured of the title and wrapped up the campaign with a 5-0 demolition.

    Their top scorer Aguero came on in the second half to score the final two goals before Pep Guardiola’s side lifted the trophy.

    Manchester City can also win the UEFA Champions League when they face Chelsea in the Porto final on May 29.

    Manchester United meanwhile ended the domestic season 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers for an unbeaten run away from home.

    They will hope for similar success in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Villarreal in Gdansk, Poland.

    Liverpool were rarely troubled in front of 10,000 fans from Mane’s double in the 36th and 74th minutes in what was Roy Hodgson’s last match as manager of Crystal Palace.

    The Reds ended the season with eight wins and two draws after a major slump saw the 2020 champions fall as low as seventh earlier in the year.

    “The last few games were unbelievable, five wins in a row. We are third, in a season like this one, I am more than satisfied,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told said.

    That moved all the top-four drama to Villa Park and the King Power.

    Chelsea failed to clinch their UEFA Champions League spot on their own five days after beating Leicester.

    Bertrand Traore shortly before half-time and Anwar El Ghazi’s penalty kick gave mid-table Aston Villa a 2-0 lead.

    Chelsea had a goal from Timo Werner disallowed for narrow offside as Thomas Tuchel’s team only managed to pull one back from Ben Chilwell in the 70th minute.

    The visitors then had Cesar Azpilicueta sent off shortly before the final whistle for catching Jack Grealish in the face.

    “It was our responsibility to lose today, we had enough chances. The performance was by far good enough to win the game.

    “We did not score, conceded two cheap goals and it was a defeat in the end. We are lucky to escape today,” Tuchel said.

    The Blues could celebrate in the end because Leicester City were unable to capitalise against Spurs with lots at stake for both sides.

    The FA Cup winners led twice from Jamie Vardy penalty kicks, with league top goalscorer Harry Kane getting a temporary equaliser in what could have been his last Spurs game.

    But Schmeichel then fisted the ball into his own net in the 77th minute off a corner-kick.

    Substitute Bale gave Spurs victory and a place in Europe in the 87th minute and stoppage time, while Leicester City go into the Europa League along with sixth-placed West Ham.

    At the Etihad, Manchester City all-time top goalscorer Aguero came on in the 65th minute and tapped and headed home for a final club record tally of 260.

    Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and Phil Foden grabbed the earlier goals against Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton before captain Fernandinho lifted the trophy for Pep Guardiola’s side.

  • Double boost for Chelsea as Kovacic, Kante return for FA Cup final

    Double boost for Chelsea as Kovacic, Kante return for FA Cup final

    Manager Thomas Tuchel says it is a “huge” FA Cup final boost for Chelsea to have Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante back fit to face Leicester City.

    Croatia star Kovacic has missed nine matches with a hamstring problem but is now ready to return for Saturday’s Wembley showdown.

    France World Cup-winner Kante was kept out of Wednesday’s 1-0 English Premier League (EPL) loss to Arsenal due to a painful Achilles issue.

    But now, the Blues boss Tuchel confirmed on Friday both midfield men are ready to take on the Foxes.

    “The whole group is available, Kova is with us again,” said Tuchel.

    “It’s huge because Mateo has everything that we need in midfield. He has experience, power, acceleration, deceleration, he can dribble the ball and beat players.

    “He’s fast, he has physical ability and he’s experienced in big games and in the Premier League.

    “When we missed N’Golo and Mateo in the same match we lacked a lot of quality, energy and experience.

    “Billy Gilmour did a huge job in both games but it’s not fair to compare him to these players because they have more experience and they are a step ahead in their development.

    “It’s what we need in the key moments of the season. It’s big news for us that Kova is back, he has a huge impact in the dressing room around big matches.”

    Kante formed a pivotal part of Leicester’s Premier League title win in 2015 and will now go up against his old club in Saturday’s Cup final.

    The linchpin midfielder has been back to his very best under the German, with the Chelsea head coach delighted to have one of his chief lieutenants back in top condition.

    “Yes, it’s huge,” said Tuchel. “We took the decision together, him, me and the medical team, to leave him out and give him this Arsenal match to rest and have treatment to his right Achilles.

    “It was pain management. It’s not a huge injury, it’s nothing you need to be afraid of getting bigger. It was just there, it was a bit annoying, just pain management and pain treatment.

    “So, he did all training sessions yesterday (Thursday) and today (Friday) full, no complaints. He will start tomorrow (Saturday) and very likely finish the game for us.”

    Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday has left the Blues exposed in their quest for a top-four Premier League finish.

    Tuchel’s men will face Leicester City again on Tuesday in a crucial league encounter.

    The Blues boss accepts that the two quick-fire Foxes clashes could now prove the crux of the close to their season.

    “These are two finals and we don’t think about anything other than the two finals,” said Tuchel.

    “There’s the final for the Cup and the final for the top four.

    “We missed the chance against Arsenal to be decisive, have the decisive advantage. So, now we have to cope with it, and first of all show the reaction at Wembley to have the upper hand on Tuesday. And this is what we are up for.”

  • Chelsea vs Man City: UEFA confirms new venue for Champions League final

    Chelsea vs Man City: UEFA confirms new venue for Champions League final

    The 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City has been officially moved from Istanbul to Porto.

    UEFA disclosed this on Thursday in a statement via its website.

    The Europe football governing body said the Estadio do Dragao will now host the all-English final on May 29 after Turkey was placed on the UK’s high-risk ‘red list’ for international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Chelsea had eliminated Real Madrid in the semi-final encounter, while Man City knocked PSG out from the tournament.

    “The final was originally scheduled to take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul but, following the UK government’s decision to place Turkey on its red list of COVID-19 travel destinations, staging the final there would have meant none of the clubs’ domestic fans would be able to travel to the game.

    “After a year of fans being locked out of stadiums, UEFA thought that everything needed to be done to ensure the supporters of the two finalist teams could attend.

    “UEFA discussed moving the match to England but, despite exhaustive efforts on the part of the Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements,” UEFA’s statement read in part.

  • Arsenal dent Chelsea’s Champions League push

    Arsenal dent Chelsea’s Champions League push

    Chelsea slipped up in their push for a Champions League spot when they lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the English Premier League (EPL) on Wednesday.

    This was after Emile Smith Rowe’s first-half goal settled the London derby following a defensive mix-up by the hosts.

    The visitors capitalised on a wayward back pass by Chelsea’s Jorginho to goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who scrambled back to palm it off the line.

    The ball fell to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who cut it back for Smith Rowe to score in the 16th minute.

    Five minutes earlier, Kai Havertz had spurned a glorious chance to put Chelsea ahead when the German dispossessed Arsenal defender Pablo Mari, ran through on goal but fired over when he looked certain to score.

    Chelsea, who play Leicester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday and Manchester City in the Champions League final on May 29, dominated the ball but failed break down Arsenal’s organised defensive lines.

    The Blues almost drew level in the 90th minute when Kurt Zouma’s header was tipped onto the crossbar by Bernd Leno and former Gunner Olivier Giroud, on as a sub, volleyed against the bar.

    The rare defeat under coach Thomas Tuchel left Chelsea in the last of the Premier League’s four Champions League qualifying spots with two games to play.

    They are six points clear of West Ham United who have three matches left and seven ahead of Liverpool who have four games to play.

    Arsenal edged up to eighth spot but have played more matches than Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, their main rivals in the hunt for a Europa League spot.