Source: Telegraph
Peter Kenyon hits out at Roman Abramovich speculation
The report, carried in a Sunday newspaper, follows speculation that Abramovich's fortune has been badly hit by the collapse of the Russian stock market. [LNB]The club's new frugal approach to transfer spending has only served to fuel the rumours that the Russian billionaire has fallen out of love with Chelsea.[LNB]However, Kenyon has dismissed the rumours and yesterday the club took the unusual step of posting a statement on behalf of Abramovich on their website outlining his plans to launch defamation proceedings against the Sunday Times, the newspaper which ran the story about a possible sale to Arab businessmen. [LNB]Kenyon said at a recent fans' forum: "There has been a lot of rumour and speculation surrounding Chelsea and the owner's commitment to the club. I can assure you on his behalf that this is totally unfounded and anything else you might read about this is rubbish. Chelsea are not for sale. The owner has not and is not looking to sell his interest in the club and he remains as committed as ever.''[LNB]Chelsea believe that stories about the club being sold to Arabs stems from a recent trip that officials made to the Middle East for a routine meeting with one of their sponsors, Etihad Airways.[LNB]In their statement on Sunday, the club revealed their lawyers would open defamation proceedings on Monday. [LNB]The statement went on: "This follows the publication of false claims that he [Abramovich] wants to sell his interest in Chelsea. Mr Abramovich has already made clear, through the directors of Chelsea, that he has no intention of doing so and that neither he nor any of his appointed representatives has been pursuing any such course of action."[LNB]Club sources add that Chelsea's accounts, due to be published in mid-February, will include details of a new commitment from Abramovich proving his dedication.[LNB]Abramovich was not at Stamford Bridge for Saturday's 2-1 win over Stoke City but club sources say he does have substantial business interests to attend to. [LNB]Sources in Moscow say Abramovich is not buying players at the moment because Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is discouraging oligarchs from flaunting their wealth at a time when the Russian economy is struggling. [LNB][LNB]
