“So much emotion, so much excitement” – Roman Abramovich recalls falling in love with Chelsea | OneFootball

The year of 2003, the year that Roman Abramovich fell in love with Chelsea Football Club, and fell in love with football.

He had been going to meetings regarding purchasing the club and started attending matches at Stamford Bridge, and he happily recalls the ’emotion’ and the ‘excitement’ that he felt when he first walked out into the stands.

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He said that he knew instantly that he wanted to be part of this.

Chelsea’s Russian billionaire owner very rarely speaks publicly, so it was greatly received by Chelsea fans to see words published by him over the weekend in an interview with Forbes.

If anyone had any doubts over the commitment to the club that Abramovich currently has and his desire for them to further succeed now and in the future, then these particular words from the interview as conveyed on the Chelsea website, will certainly reassure you.

Abramovich said:

“There was so much emotion, so much excitement. I remember thinking, I want to be a part of this.

“The fact that there is no set formula for winning football matches. A coach and his or her squad have to consider many factors when approaching each match. It’s like every few days is a new exam and the work you have put in gets evaluated. I enjoyed, and still enjoy, the unpredictability and seeing how each game plays out.’

“In hindsight, especially with the public profile it would bring me, maybe I would have thought differently about owning a club. But, at the time, I just saw this incredible game and that I wanted to be a part of that in one way or another.

“I think the trophies speak for themselves and show what we as a club have been able to achieve over these years, and it’s my goal for us to keep winning trophies going forward and build for the future.

“Chelsea has a very rich history, and I feel extremely fortunate to a play a part in that. The club was here before me, and will be here after me, but my job is to ensure we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future. That’s why the success of our Academy at Cobham is so important to me.”