A British court has ruled in favor of the Chelsea president in a defamation suit

British courts on Wednesday ruled in favor of Chelsea leader Roman Abramovich in his defamation suit against the author and publisher of the book “Putin’s People”, claiming that the Russian businessman bought the football club on the orders of the Kremlin.

Chelsea’s president has sued journalist Catherine Belton and the “HarperCollins” publication, accusing the book of “making false and defamatory statements about it” in 2020.

At the end of his investigation, a former Financial Times reporter in Moscow, Mr. In 2003, Putin personally asked the 55-year-old billionaire to buy the Chelsea club to extend his influence abroad.

In his judgment, the judge ruled that the allegations in the book were factual and did not imply an opinion as stated by the defense attorneys. The judge listed nine defamatory allegations against Mr Abramovich, saying “an ordinary reader will understand that he is under the control of President Vladimir Putin” and that he “bought the Chelsea Football Club in 2003 on the orders of the President. Russia gains recognition and influence in the United Kingdom”.

Under the leadership of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea went on to win five English League titles (2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017) and two Champions League titles (2012 and 2021).