FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Chelsea’s fear over furious Abramovich
CHelSea’S future was shrouded in uncertainty last night after a day of stunning revelations.
less than a fortnight after winning the Fa Cup — their 15th major trophy under the ownership of Roman abramovich — the club halted work on their £1billion stadium project and appeared to shelve plans to appoint Mauricio Sarri as their new manager.
abramovich has put plans on hold for a new 60,000-seat stadium at Stamford Bridge after the Home Office delayed renewing his visa at a time of major political tension between Russia and Britain.
The Russian billionaire has taken israeli citizenship, which enables him to visit his family home in london but does not allow him to work. Reports in israel claim he has withdrawn his application for an investor visa in the UK and there are fears he could quit Chelsea altogether.
Yesterday abramovich put the brakes on
what would have been a huge cash injection into the UK economy, even though plans for the new ground were at an advanced stage. Sources close to Abramovich, who has lived in London since buying Chelsea in 2003, suggested he has no intention of pumping a huge slice of his £8.6bn fortune into a city that has made him feel so unwelcome. He is said to have been particularly unhappy that he was unable to watch his team win the FA Cup against Manchester United last month because of his visa difficulties. The push to appoint outgoing Napoli coach Sarri also seems to have stalled, with former France and Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc now a serious contender for the job. Having failed to secure Champions League football for next season, stadium expansion at Chelsea was considered essential to keep pace with major rivals in the Premier League. Plans were in place for Chelsea to play at the current Stamford Bridge stadium for two more seasons before demolishing it to build the new ground on the same west London site. But staff have been left in shock after a team of more than 50 people working on the stadium project were suddenly told to stop. It raises the question of whether Abramovich wants to quit the UK and sell the club. Chelsea insiders say he has no desire to walk away after overseeing an unprecedented era of success, including a Champions League victory and five Premier League titles. The Russian is also now on the verge of changing his manager for the 14th time in 15 years, if caretakers are included, and the uncertainty around that is also creating a sense of anxiety when other clubs are pressing ahead with summer transfer plans. Chelsea are expected to move into gear when director Marina Granovskaia returns from a break next week but Sarri appears no longer to be first-choice to succeed Antonio Conte amid concerns about his past. The situation with Sarri was already complicated by a £7million release clause at Napoli but Chelsea are now more alarmed by an exchange the Italian had with new Italy manager Roberto Mancini. Mancini accused Sarri of hurling homophobic insults at him during a touchline row when he was Inter Milan boss. Sarri was fined €20,000 and banned for two cup matches. At a time when Chelsea are dealing with historical abuse and racism claims, there is no desire to appoint a controversial manager. Blanc has been out of work since leaving PSG two years ago, so would be available should Conte leave, although it is understood Avram Grant is still close to Abramovich. If the search for a new manager remains a struggle, Chelsea’s owner knows he can turn to the Israeli, who guided Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final. Yesterday there were also reports that Chelsea had terminated contract talks with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. But insiders insisted the Belgian has made it clear he does not want to discuss new terms until after the World Cup.