GENEVE, Switzerland — Hansjorg Wyss, one of
Switzerland’s richest men, said Wednesday he
had been offered the chance to buy Chelsea, with the English Premier League
side’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich under growing scrutiny.
اضافة اعلان
Wyss, 86 and
founder of the medical device manufacturing firm Synthes, told the Swiss
newspaper Blick that he had been sounded out on Tuesday, alongside three other
people.
Abramovich
revealed Saturday that he plans to place his ownership of the European
champions into the “stewardship and care” of the Chelsea Foundation’s trustees.
Abramovich has
not been named on a growing British sanctions list targeting
Russian banks,
businesses and pro-Kremlin tycoons.
But British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson has been pressed on why Abramovich has not been cited,
given his familiarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Abramovich is
among Putin’s closest advisers and friends,” Wyss told Blick.
“Like all the
other oligarchs, he is panicked. Abramovich is currently trying to sell all his
villas in
England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. Along with
three other people, I received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from
Abramovich.
“I have to wait
four or five days. Abramovich is asking too much right now. Chelsea owes him £2
billion. But Chelsea has no money. This means that those who buy
Chelsea must
compensate Abramovich.
“We do not yet
know the exact sale price. I can very well imagine myself joining Chelsea with
partners. First I have to look carefully at the conditions. But what I can
already tell you: I certainly wouldn’t do such a thing alone. If I buy Chelsea,
it will be with a consortium of six to seven investors.”
Contacted in
London, Chelsea refused to comment, while a spokeswoman for Abramovich did not
immediately respond.
Johnson was asked
in Warsaw on Tuesday why Abramovich has not been personally sanctioned by the
British government, as several
UK lawmakers have demanded.
Johnson did not
refer to the Chelsea owner directly in his answer, but said Britain would be
“tightening the economic noose” further around the Russian regime.
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