Chelsea's former owner Roman Abramovich departed the club in 2022 after leading the Blues to a major period of success
08:00, 10 Mar 2026
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on from the stands during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on April 16, 2016.
View 3 Images
Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Image: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich departed the club having helped lead Chelsea into the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup. Winning that tournament earned Chelsea a staggering amount of money, and Liam Rosenior will now be hoping he can use it to build on his squad this summer.
The Russian billionaire led the Blues to a trophy-laden spell after he bought the club in 2003. However, four years ago on Tuesday his assets were frozen and he was sanctioned by the UK Government due to alleged links to Vladimir Putin and Russia, following the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Chelsea's entry into last summer's Club World Cup was all but sealed after the Blues beat Man City 1-0 in the Champions League final of 2021, just before the Russian businessman left the club.
The club went on to win the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup tournament under former boss Enzo Maresca after defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the final, earning them a sum just shy of £85 million.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The club's earnings were split between a guaranteed participation fee and performance-based bonuses accumulated throughout the tournament. For their participation fee, Chelsea scooped £21.4m.
Their group stage wins earned them £3m, while they took home £5.6m in the round of 16. Their quarter-final berth secured them £9.7m, while £15.6m came their way for victory in the semi-finals.
Chelsea celebrating their Club World Cup win
View 3 Images
Chelsea won the Club World Cup in July last year(Image: Getty Images)
The club then took home around £30m for winning the final. Their estimated overall earnings for winning the competition was around £85m. In total, FIFA's overall prize shared between all competing clubs was a staggering £774m.
Chelsea spent £198m on reinforcements last summer on the likes of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. Rosenior will now be looking to use what's remaining of Abramovich's parting gift to bolster his team further this summer.
Yet the former Strasbourg coach has claimed he is happy to let the Blues' sporting department, led by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, take charge of transfers,.
"That’s the beauty of being a head coach within a structure. I’m not an old-school manager that’s got out the phone and is making calls," Rosenior said back in January.
Liam Rosenior
View 3 Images
Liam Rosenior watches on during Chelsea's win against Wrexham(Image: Chelsea FC)
"I’ve got the best people, I think, in world football working on those things. I probably see the last two per cent of the work they do, which allows me to focus on what I need to focus on: the team and the performance."
However, after losing against Arsenal in March, Rosenior hinted that changes could be on the way this summer as he looks to shape his squad to how he sees fit.
Article continues below
"I want us to be high pressing and high energy as well," he said. "That is something that you can’t solve in a short space of time. That comes over a period of months and hopefully years."
Abramovich had to sell his shares in the club to Todd Boehly and Clearlake in May 2022 for £2.5 billion. Abramovich's 19-year stewardship saw Chelsea win 21 major titles. This included five Premier League trophies, five FA Cups, two Champions League titles, and two Europa Leagues.
Watch PSG vs Chelsea on TNT Sports
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£30.99
TNT Sports
Get TNT Sports here
Chelsea have reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 where they face Paris Saint-Germain on March 11. Fans can watch the game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.