Sven-Goran Eriksson reveals he told Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea and NOT Spurs in a nightclub, because he only needed to buy ‘half a team’… 24 HOURS before Russian completed deal
- Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted he told Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea
- Ex-England boss advised the Russian to avoid Tottenham and go for the Blues
- Eriksson claimed Abramovich took his advice and bought club within 24 hours
Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted he told Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea instead of Tottenham because they would need less improvement.
In 2003, Russian billionaire Abramovich was keen to enter the Premier League and buy a Premier League club.
And the oligarch, who has ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, asked Eriksson for advice on whether to take over Spurs or the Blues.
And in new Paramount+ documentary Fever Pitch, Eriksson reveals when Abramovich told him he wanted to ‘win’, the Swede insisted he go for the west London rather than the north London club because there he only needed to buy ‘half a team’ – the implication being Spurs needed more drastic changes than that.
Eriksson said: ‘He wanted me to give advice on which club to buy, Chelsea or Tottenham.
Sven-Goran Eriksson has claimed he told Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea – not Tottenham
Russian Abramovich reportedly bought the Blues just 24 hours after speaking to Eriksson
Abramovich (pictured) won 21 trophies during his 19 years in charge between 2003 and 2022
‘So I asked him: “What do you want to do with the club?”. “Win,” he said.
‘And I said to him “If you want to win, Chelsea, because you only need to buy half a team”.
‘Then, I think within 24 hours… (he bought them).’
Chelsea were renowned for being ruthless in hiring and firing managers under Abramovich, but won 21 trophies during his 19 years in charge between 2003 and 2022.
But he was widely criticised for trying to enter the team into the failed breakaway European Super League project in 2021.
And the following year, after Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine led by Putin, Abramovich was forced to step down after the UK government froze his assets and the Premier League disqualified him as a foreign owner.
In May 2022, US…