What does 'stewardship' mean for Chelsea and why is owner Roman Abramovich attracting attention?

On Saturday afternoon, Chelsea announced that the club would be placed in the ‘stewardship’ of the club’s charitable trust. That was followed by a remarkably brief statement on their website saying those at the club were ‘praying for peace’ in Ukraine. Both acts were likely in response to the growing attention and criticism towards club owner Roman Abramovich.

With little clarity on what these moves mean, we look at the context behind these developments. Ad/> What has the club said? Premier League'The club is praying for peace' Chelsea issue statement on Ukraine conflictAN HOUR AGO On Saturday the club website posted the following: /> «I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.» On Sunday, the club also issued a statement saying: «The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating. Chelsea FC’s thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine.

Everyone at the club is praying for peace.» Why is Roman Abramovich attracting attention? As a prominent Russian oligarch, many are looking at the billionaire to condemn the invasion of Ukraine that restarted last week after initially beginning in 2014 without a final resolution. However many believe that oligarchs as a general class rely on Russian president Vladimir Putin essentially for permission and patronage to maintain their vast wealth and influence. There is no suggestion that Abramovich does the same, but as he is often seen as an oligarch there is speculation he could be pulled into any British or international sanctions aimed at censuring the Russian state.