+ Visit Cardiff FC for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results |
Suggesting how Abromovich amassed his fortune, which was a lot of peoples thoughts anyway. Those muppet Chelsea fans singing his name and I noticed they had a huge banner with a Russian flag with his name across it. On the news last week they interviewed three 'fans' outside the ground, the first was angry about what was happening to his club as he travels from Asia to see them, the second was more King Street, Merthyr than Kings Road and the third had a broad East Anglian accent, and said he will be singing Abromovich's name in the stands.
The game has sold its soul.
Bit harsh for me. I don't think Abramovich is evil and I think it's fair for Chelsea fans to have affection for him considering what he's done for the club. Ironically, there is something curiously Soviet about suddenly having to hate (or love) someone you previously loved (or hated). We knew the score with Abramovich when Russia invaded Georgia and the Ukraine in 2014. Did we not care then?
I have no time for Abramovich, but as with most oligarchs, I think they are a product of the corrupt Soviet and subsequent rampant capitalist system that Russia underwent, followed by years of strongman government in the form of Putin.
They will not be alone. Any Chinese investor in UK football absolutely will have to be on good terms with the Chinese Communist Party and they are, notwithstanding the Ukraine war, a worse outfit than Putin.
Morally, I have a bigger issue with Newcastle fans and Saudi Arabia to be honest, although even then I can see why most fans can seperate off the football from politics and ultimately, as we well know, you dont choose your owners.
Yes I think plenty of football fans cared. Just as fans were unhappy about Thaksin and then Sheik Mansour buying Man City, the Qatari money at PSG (and also the forthcoming World Cup), the Saudis buying Newcastle as you say, Carson Yeung the money launderer at Birmingham City, Gaydamak at Portsmouth...
Most of us would be happy if there were no billionaires involved in our football.
it is very likely that his wealth has been obtained through corruption, as such he's defrauded the Russian people of Billions of pounds.
the Russian authorities did start to investigate it but the investigation was squashed by the Yeltsin government.
is defrauding a government of Billions evil? I'd argue yes
I don't dispute how he got his money (nor do i pretend to be an expert on it) but he was born into arguably the most corrupt economy on earth (the USSR) and then worked in business during it's wild west period as hyper-capitalism kicked in.
Sadly, in countries such as Russia (and many others) you have to stay onside with the leader - my point is that doing so is grubby, dubious, morally questionable and all the rest, but I'm not sure he makes him evil or someone who advocates the invasion of Ukraine. Clearly he is being rightly sanctioned, but I don't think we need to turn him into something he may not actually be, let alone demand that all Chelsea fans renounce his name.
Whats his alternative? Jail, like Mikhail Khodorkovsky?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhai...ly%20motivated.
Football is a dirty business. I just don't see much benefit on pouring the hate juice all over Abramovich and Chelsea fans when there are probably worse cases ongoing at the moment.
If we're being honest here, there are rumours surrounding how our own owner Vincent Tan came into his wealth.
If Putin himself put cash into CCFC tomorrow half of this board would be divided.