Roman Abramovich, former Chelsea FC owner, has declared he has no intention of owning or taking a professional role at any football club again. This is his first public comment since selling Chelsea in May 2022.

Abramovich sold the club for £2.5 billion to the Todd Boehly–Clearlake Capital consortium. The funds were placed in a frozen UK bank account, with intentions for them to support victims of the war in Ukraine. However, a dispute remains between Abramovich and the UK government over how the funds should be allocated.

In a statement quoted from Nick Purewal’s new book Sanctioned, Abramovich said, “I don’t have any interest in any role in a football club, certainly not a professional role… I am done with that in this lifetime.”

The Russian billionaire, 58, added he may one day return to Stamford Bridge for a proper farewell but stressed it would be “nothing more than that.”

Last week, UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves and Foreign Minister David Lammy expressed frustration over the lack of agreement with Abramovich on the funds’ disbursement. While the UK insists the money must go toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, Abramovich reportedly wants the proceeds to aid victims on both sides of the conflict.

The ministers warned they are prepared to pursue legal action to ensure the funds reach Ukrainians in need.

Under Abramovich’s ownership from 2003 to 2022, Chelsea won 21 major trophies, including two Champions League titles and five Premier League titles.