Why does Abramovich suddenly want to lose Chelsea so quickly? And could there be consequences for Romelu Lukaku? † Ukraine conflict

“If you had told me a couple of weeks ago that Roman Abramovich was going to sell Chelsea, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s a huge surprise on this front, although his movement may be a little smaller after the events that follow each other so quickly.”

So sports economist Thomas Peters is not entirely surprised by the connections of Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club since 2003.

Abramovich threatens to pay the price for his association with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian is trying to avoid financial penalties and does not want to drag his English love to the deep end.

“His exact motives are not yet clear, but it appears that personal penalties will be imposed,” Peters explains.

“So he wants to protect the club’s assets. If Abramovich is no longer allowed to do business, it could mean that Chelsea can no longer do transactions. He wants to avoid that.”

It is possible that Roman Abramovich’s bank account will be hit, of course, but will he be able to sell Chelsea for a profit? “There is no doubt about it,” replies the mathematical economist.

“Chelsea has gone from a turnover of 150-200 million euros to a turnover of more than half a billion on a yearly basis. So the value of the club is definitely more than when it was bought.”

“We may have forgotten what Chelsea’s initial tenure under Abramovich was: Chelsea weren’t the best club in Europe as they are now. So there will be a win for sure.”

Although the watch is not an ally of Abramovich. English politicians are breathing from his neck.

“Everyone knows he has to be fast, but there is definitely interest. Look at Newcastle: Chelsea’s performance was below Chelsea’s level, but they were in line there too.”

“So, finding a buyer would not be a problem, but if it had to be done quickly, the margin for negotiation for Abramovich, of course, is smaller.”

The ball started rolling yesterday due to the indiscretion of the 86-year-old Swiss billionaire who claimed Chelsea had been offered him. Is this the profile of Roman Abramovich’s successor?

“Yes: think primarily of a select group of billionaires. Or an investment company of an oil state, although most of them already have a club.”

“And if you say you’re selling the club to keep them out of the political waters, they’re not a logical party to deal with. Then you’ll meet people with a political agenda.”

Will there be sporting consequences in the short term? “Chelsea has more or less collapsed even in the last 10 years. They have become less dependent on direct financial assistance from the sponsor, or much less than they were in the 2000s.”

“Romelu Lukaku shouldn’t be too worried either. His value is determined more by his performance on the pitch than by this deal. Much more important he plays and scores more often to maintain his market value.”