Soccer-Newcastle co-owner Staveley 'sad' for Abramovich

LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United shareholder Amanda Staveley expressed sympathy for Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich on Thursday after his announcememt that he was putting the club up for sale.

Speaking at a soccer summit in London, Staveley once again defended Newcastle's takeover last year by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) -- a deal she helped facilitate.

Critics of the takeover, including human rights groups, say it is an example of "sportswashing" by Saudi Arabia.

In reply to a question about her continued insistence that there was separation between PIF, which owns 80% of the club, and the Saudi state, Staveley touched on the Chelsea situation.

"I think we're always going to have geopolitical issues. This world is never going to not have problems. I know it's really hard," she said at the FT Business of Football Summit.

"And I'm really sad that someone (Abramovich) is having a club taken away from them because of the relationship they may have, I don't think that's fair."

Abramovich has decided to sell Chelsea after 19 years following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and mounting pressure for the metals magnate to be hit by sanctions similar to those directed at other Russian oligachs.

He has made vast fortunes since the break-up of the Soviet Union but denies close links to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Staveley was asked whether European and newly-crowned world champions Chelsea would have been a preferred option for her Saudi Arabian-backed consortium when seeking to buy a Premier League club last year.

"We had the opportunity to look at every club, including Chelsea, and Chelsea is a wonderful club," she said.

"And I'm enjoying working with all the Chelsea colleagues on the Premier League