Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, has admitted his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich is “very straight” and not “close, close” since he became manager.
Abramovich has been a distant figure at Stamford Bridge in recent years, after he withdrew his application for a new visa in the UK in 2018.
The Russian billionaire has stayed away from Britain ever since and last month attended his first Chelsea game since the 2019 Europa League final, away at Krasnodar in the Champions League.
Lampard in an interview with The Athletic, revealed that it was director Marina Granovskaia who he held talks with on his return as manager last year, not the owner.
“When I came back to the club, no; it was Marina (Granovskaia, the director), who contacted Derby and then myself to make that happen.
“I saw Roman on pre-season last year and it was big smiles and not cuddles but welcomes and handshakes.
‘From then, I haven’t had a close, close relationship with him, albeit I report back my thoughts on games, on where I see us and where I see us moving forward consistently through Marina and I’m very happy with that,” Lampard said.