Under the radar in a luxurious Turkish mansion: this is ex-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s new life | Premier League

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022 marked the end of Abramovich’s nearly 20-year solid footballing era at Chelsea, punctuated by two Champions Leagues and five Premier League titles. Because of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich fell prey to British government sanctions that froze the assets of the Russian oligarch in the UK. Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea. In May 2022, a deal was finalized with a consortium around the US billionaire Todd Bohle for an amount of approximately 5 billion euros.

Not much has been heard or seen of Abramovich since then. His new life is a well-kept secret, but now part of the veil has been lifted by the Daily Mail. According to the British newspaper, the Russian billionaire is renting a luxurious villa in Anadolu Hisari, a wealthy neighborhood on the banks of the Bosphorus in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, for 40 thousand pounds per month – about 47 thousand euros per month.

It remains unclear whether Abramovich is still there continually: An attempt by a Turkish media outlet to catch a glimpse of the Russian businessman with a drone failed. The locals were keeping tight lips. And the Daily Mirror newspaper wrote earlier that Abramovich was seen in a cafe with a cup of coffee and a picnic in the neighborhood. Messages like his desire to invest in Turkish football turned out to be premature.

It should come as no surprise that Abromovich found a new haven in Türkiye. Türkiye did not impose sanctions on Russia and many wealthy Russians fled to it. According to a report by the Turkish Statistical Institute, Russians concluded more than 16,300 real estate deals in Turkey in 2022, compared to 5,300 in 2021. Abramovich’s luxury yachts also dock in Turkey, where they also depart on a regular basis. Once the Ukrainians tried to prevent this in a small boat.