Post by QPR Report on Jan 18, 2009 8:42:45 GMT
If true, not sure if that's good or bad.
Independent/ By Sadie Gray - Abramovich sounds out buyers for Chelsea
Russian billionaire said to be ready to sell Premiership club, and talks have been held in Dubai and Saudi Arabia
Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich is reported to be trying to sell Chelsea Football Club, sending representatives to the Gulf states to drum up interest.
City analysts say £800m would be needed to buy Mr Abramovich out of the Premiership club, which he took over in 2003 for £60m and swiftly transformed into one of the league's most successful sides.
Meetings have taken place in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, at least one with members of the Saudi royal family, sources in the Gulf told The Sunday Times. One said: "Abramovich's team has been in the Middle East sounding out what interest there is in buying the club."
Chelsea FC said Mr Abramovich remained committed to the club and did not wish to sell it, dismissing the idea as "total nonsense". There had been no evidence of the oligarch having found a buyer, the paper said.
Under Mr Abramovich's chairmanship, Chelsea won the Premier League two years in a row, in 2005 and 2006, and last season made it into the final of the European Champions League in Moscow, losing on penalties to Manchester United.
City experts have speculated that Mr Abramovich may need to liquidate some of his assets as the global economic crisis has taken its toll on his fortune. He is estimated to have lost £3bn from a fortune of £11.7bn.
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari threatened late last week to sack the entire Chelsea side, which includes England stalwarts John Terry and Frank Lampard, after a 3-0 drubbing by Manchester United and a replay against lowly Southend to get into the fourth round of the FA Cup. Some members of the Chelsea squad are paid £120,000 a week.
English clubs are becoming targets for the world's richest businessmen, as football's globalisation increases the potential for growth in revenues from television, advertising and merchandise.
Manchester United is owned by the American businessman Malcolm Glazer, Aston Villa's chairman is the US tycoon Randy Lerner and the US sports entrepreneurs George Gillett and Tom Hicks control Liverpool.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi bought Manchester City for £200m in August. His bid to sign the Brazilian superstar Kaka from AC Milan would shatter the international transfer record: the final deal could cost up to £243m in one-off payments and a salary rumoured to be £500,000 a week.
www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/abramovich-sounds-out-buyers-for-chelsea-1419031.html
Independent/ By Sadie Gray - Abramovich sounds out buyers for Chelsea
Russian billionaire said to be ready to sell Premiership club, and talks have been held in Dubai and Saudi Arabia
Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich is reported to be trying to sell Chelsea Football Club, sending representatives to the Gulf states to drum up interest.
City analysts say £800m would be needed to buy Mr Abramovich out of the Premiership club, which he took over in 2003 for £60m and swiftly transformed into one of the league's most successful sides.
Meetings have taken place in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, at least one with members of the Saudi royal family, sources in the Gulf told The Sunday Times. One said: "Abramovich's team has been in the Middle East sounding out what interest there is in buying the club."
Chelsea FC said Mr Abramovich remained committed to the club and did not wish to sell it, dismissing the idea as "total nonsense". There had been no evidence of the oligarch having found a buyer, the paper said.
Under Mr Abramovich's chairmanship, Chelsea won the Premier League two years in a row, in 2005 and 2006, and last season made it into the final of the European Champions League in Moscow, losing on penalties to Manchester United.
City experts have speculated that Mr Abramovich may need to liquidate some of his assets as the global economic crisis has taken its toll on his fortune. He is estimated to have lost £3bn from a fortune of £11.7bn.
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari threatened late last week to sack the entire Chelsea side, which includes England stalwarts John Terry and Frank Lampard, after a 3-0 drubbing by Manchester United and a replay against lowly Southend to get into the fourth round of the FA Cup. Some members of the Chelsea squad are paid £120,000 a week.
English clubs are becoming targets for the world's richest businessmen, as football's globalisation increases the potential for growth in revenues from television, advertising and merchandise.
Manchester United is owned by the American businessman Malcolm Glazer, Aston Villa's chairman is the US tycoon Randy Lerner and the US sports entrepreneurs George Gillett and Tom Hicks control Liverpool.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi bought Manchester City for £200m in August. His bid to sign the Brazilian superstar Kaka from AC Milan would shatter the international transfer record: the final deal could cost up to £243m in one-off payments and a salary rumoured to be £500,000 a week.
www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/abramovich-sounds-out-buyers-for-chelsea-1419031.html
