Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan insists Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been one of the worst things for English football.
Abramovich revealed last week that he has put the Stamford Bridge club up for sale and that he is writing off the £1.5billion debt he is owed by the club.
The Russian billionaire has overseen a trophy-laden period which has included two Champions League titles, five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups, two Europa League titles, and the Club World Cup.
The decision to sell the Blues comes as a result of many Russian oligarchs facing sanctions from the UK government over the invasion of Ukraine.
Jordan, however, did not hold back on his views for Abramovich as he feels he has had a bad impact on English football and has made the game ‘financially unviable’.
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‘With due respect, with the exception of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich was one of the worst things that could have happened to English football,’ said the outspoken talkSPORT pundit.
‘We were on a direction of travel that was already upwards, our Premier League was already flying, we already had broadcasters throwing money at us.
‘What you did [Chelsea] was you created hyperinflation. What you did was change the landscape by making football so financially unviable for your own reasons.
‘What have we got now? A generation of players who have no character, no backbone, no substance, get paid far too much money.
‘Abramovich’s legacy is what? For Chelsea? Fabulous. For football in this country? I think it’s awful.
‘Tragically our biggest and most aspirational assets are our football clubs, and we’re happy to let these people in to run our football clubs as long as they’ve got a big bag of money.
‘What did it do? What it did was it created hyperinflation which has destroyed football!
‘The only beneficiaries have really been players and agents, no one’s making more money, no one’s getting anything more out of the game, the fans are seeing some type of better football, but they would have seen it anyway.
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‘You look at it and say what did it actually bring? The game is getting further away from the fans, the cost implications of the game are getting greater, players are getting more control and less value. Good riddance, bye bye, next.’
Abramovich is likely to have to sell Chelsea at a loss unless he can attract a sovereign wealth fund or multiple billionaires with an appetite for a bidding war – neither of which appears likely.
The Russian oligarch is reportedly seeking £3billion for the club, with some outlandish claims going as high as £4bn.
