Chelsea trustees yet to agree to take over running of club from Roman Abramovich
By Sean Walsh
Chelsea trustees are yet to reach an agreement to take over the running of the club from owner Roman Abramovich.
The 55-year-old released a statement via club channels on Saturday night revealing that he would be stepping aside from the day-to-day running of the Blues, passing over 'custody and care' to Chelsea trustees.
The news came at the end of a week which saw Russia invade Ukraine, and Abramovich's statement made no mention to the ongoing conflict. Chelsea released a second statement the following day condemning what was happening in Ukraine but failed to mention Russia's involvement.
Sky Sports and The Athletic are both reporting that, as of Monday morning, Chelsea trustees still haven't agreed to take the reins from Abramovich, in part due to the ambiguity of his 110-word statement.
The six trustees - including chairman Bruce Buck and women's team manager Emma Hayes - need to know if Abramovich's request is in line with UK charity law, with lawyers looking into the details of the proposed handover.
There also remains concern among the trustees that their positions as leaders of a charity will come under scrutiny from the country's charity regulators, while the Premier League may also need to approve any change in control of the club - they are yet to receive a request from Chelsea.
Nonetheless, Abramovich remains the owner of Chelsea and maintains some close relationships with others - including director Marina Granovskaia - who remain in a position of power at the club.