Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich thanks players, fans in farewell statement

London [UK], May 28 : Chelsea's outgoing owner Roman Abramovich on Saturday thanked the players, fans and staff in a statement, as the club prepares for a takeover by a consortium led by Todd Boehly.
Chelsea FC on Saturday confirmed that Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital consortium takeover of the Premier League club is expected to be completed on Monday.
"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," read an official statement from Abramovich.
He said that the ownership of the club comes with great responsibility and he has been a first-hand witness to what it could achieve during his almost two-decade stay with it.
"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," added the statement.
Abramovich said that he is pleased that the search for the right owner has come to a successful conclusion and wished the next owner 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," the statement further said.
Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich put Chelsea, which he purchased in 2003, up for sale on March 2. He had to part ways with the club due to the backlash he faced for his alleged close ties with Russia's President Vladimir Putin amid the country's ongoing military operation in Ukraine.
Earlier in May, Chelsea Football Club confirmed that terms have been agreed for a new ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjoerg Wyss, to acquire the Premier League club.
The group is headed by Todd Boehly who is also the LA Dodgers part-owner and it also includes backing from Clearlake Capital, a US investment firm.
After months of negotiations, the deal was approved on Wednesday after the UK government received legal guarantees that Roman Abramovich - who has had his UK assets frozen - will not benefit from the sale.
In an official statement, the north-London based club stated: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm that a final and definitive agreement was entered into last night to sell the Club to the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital consortium."
"It is expected that the transaction will be completed on Monday. The Club will update further at that time," the club added.