Roman Abramovich has described his 19-year spell at Chelsea as "the honour of a lifetime" as he prepares to depart Stamford Bridge.
Almost three months after the Russian oligarch initially put the Blues up for sale, the Premier League club confirmed on Saturday morning that a takeover is on the verge of completion.
A consortium led by Todd Boehly will own Chelsea from Monday onwards, and Abramovich has released a statement to mark the end of a turbulent transitional period for the club.
It reads: "It has been nearly three months since I announced my intention to sell Chelsea FC. During this time, the team have worked hard to find the right custodian for Chelsea FC that would be best positioned to successfully lead the club into its next chapter.
"The ownership of this club comes with great responsibility. Since I came to Chelsea nearly twenty years ago, I have witnessed first-hand what this club can achieve. My goal has been to ensure that the next owner has a mindset that will enable success for the Men's and Women's team, as well as the will and drive to continue developing other key aspects of the club, such as the academy and the vital work of Chelsea Foundation."
"I am pleased this search has now come to a successful conclusion. As I hand over Chelsea to its new custodians, I would like to wish them the best of success, both on and off the pitch.
"It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this Club – I would like to thank all the club's past and current players, staff, and of course fans for these incredible years.
"I am proud that as a result of our joint successes, millions of people will now benefit from the new charitable foundation which is being established. This is the legacy which we have created together."
Abramovich has been placed under government-imposed sanctions since shortly after putting Chelsea up for sale, the fear being that any funds could be used to benefit Russia in its war against Ukraine due to his links with president Vladimir Putin.
A deal was only able to go through when the government were satisfied that the proceeds would not benefit Abramovich nor Putin, instead going to the war victims in Ukraine.
Darren Plant
