London (dpa)
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has confirmed that being part of English club Chelsea was “the honor of his life”, as he prepares to hand the club over to Todd Buhle.
Chelsea Football Club announced today, Saturday, that it had reached a “final and settled” agreement to sell the club, to the Todd Boehli alliance and Clearlake Capital, and that he expected the deal to be completed on Monday.
“It has been the honor of my life to be a part of this club,” Abramovich told Chelsea’s official website.
He added: “It has been about three months since I announced my intention to sell Chelsea, during which time the team has worked hard to find the right successor for Chelsea, to successfully lead the club into the next chapter.
He pointed out that the ownership of this club comes with a great responsibility, since I came to Chelsea about twenty years ago, I have seen from the beginning what this club can achieve.
“My aim was to ensure that the new owner had the mindset that would enable him to achieve success for the men’s and women’s teams, as well as continue to develop in various other areas of the club, such as the academy and the vital work of the Chelsea Foundation.”
He added: “I am delighted that the search process has come to a successful conclusion, handing Chelsea over to a new investor. I wish them all the best both on and off the pitch.