Soccer: Chelsea’s joyful owner a man of few words

Roman Abramovich wants his team to do the talking. Picture / Reuters

It seems certain that Roman Abramovich will not be raising his public profile, despite his obvious joy at Chelsea's title win.

It is now 21 months since the Russian billionaire gave an interview and such is his dislike for them that he is set to say no yet again, despite the pressure for him to do so after his club's achievement.

Not even Chelsea TV, the club's own television channel, is likely to be granted an audience.

Despite its sanitised environment, his advisers cannot persuade him. Television is a medium with which Abramovich feels particularly uncomfortable, while print interviews are simply deemed unnecessary.

The Chelsea owner is a man of few words.

He does not like to see himself quoted, or indeed anything at all published about him, believing any publicity is harmful, although there may, at some point this week, be a brief, written statement.

And that is it. He wants the team, as the cliche goes, to do the talking.

Which is a pity. For it would be compelling to hear anything of substance from him, especially now that he can comfortably converse in English.

And especially if he was willing to discuss the spectacular, unprecedented mandate he has handed Jose Mourinho following the crisis provoked three weeks ago by the manager's sense of frustration and discontent. That preceded the Champions' League quarter-final, first leg against Bayern Munich.

The mood when Abramovich flew into London last Tuesday and met Mourinho and the players, before the semifinal first-leg, at the rapidly emerging and impressive new training ground at Cobham, Surrey, was very different.

That is mainly because, on his previous visit, Abramovich made it clear to everyone that Mourinho was the most important employee and what he wants, he gets.

That includes the stellar 5.2 million ($13.5 million) a year extended contract that is on the table while the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, clearly knows his place in the pecking order and the plc chairman, Bruce Buck, has become an even more peripheral figure after being criticised by Mourinho.

Abramovich was happier when he was in the dressing-room, rather than on the pitch, at the Reebok Stadium. He enjoys being with the players.

It also keeps the players on their toes. One of his most precious memories is riding on the team bus for the away Champions' League tie against CSKA Moscow.

It was the May Bank Holiday, in Russia as well as Britain, and Abramovich's entourage in the past few days has been bigger than usual - up to 200 leading business people and politicians - who have stayed on in England since the first leg against Liverpool.

It has been a good few weeks for Abramovich. He has received further reassurances that Vladimir Putin's so-called war on the oligarchs will not affect him, while the price of oil continues to rise.

It has led to Abramovich, according to Forbes magazine, seeing his fortune increase by 1.15 billion in the past year to 7.7 billion - making him, comfortably, Russia's wealthiest man.

It also puts into context the 87.8 million in losses, and the 115.5 million wage bill, Chelsea have incurred.

How much more cash Abramovich will divert will soon be seen. Mourinho has talked about two or three key additions, as has Kenyon, but the manager is understood to be considering a more radical overhaul and has a history of shifting players on quickly.

It is likely to be a third stunning summer at Stamford Bridge. Already, 218 million has been spent on transfers, although Mourinho will stick by his pledge to keep the squad down to 24 senior professionals.

A central figure will be Jorge Mendes, the agent who represents Mourinho and the club's Portuguese contingent. He has become an increasingly influential presence.

Mendes' power should not be underestimated. Much of the business will go through him while, at the same time, Pini Zahavi, the Israeli agent, has become a frequent visitor again. For those players already at Chelsea, this is perhaps ominous and interesting as Abramovich has privately complained about the money agents have taken from him. But he knows that Zahavi gets things done.

What was also clear yesterday from sources close to Chelsea's owner is that he loves his football project and has no intention whatsoever of turning his back on it.

And that, amid all the champagne celebrations, may be a very sobering thought for the rest of the Premiership and Europe.

- INDEPENDENT