Has Daria replaced Chelsea as the love of his
life?
ROMAN, Roman, wherefore art thou,
Roman?
Enjoying life with his own Juliet home in
Russia, no doubt.
The recent whereabouts of billionaire Chelsea
owner Roman Abramovich has been the big talking point in football.
As the Blues beat Liverpool last Wednesday to book a first
appearance in the Champions League final, his seat at Stamford
Bridge was once again empty. He has not been seen there since the
2-1 win over Arsenal on March 23.
Roman’s absence has been attributed to both business
and political reasons, his presence required in Moscow during the
build-up to the moment this week when Dmitri Medvedev succeeds
Vladamir Putin as President. And yet no one should underestimate
the effect of the beautiful Daria “Dasha” Zhukova on Abramovich
following his divorce from Irina, the mother of his five
children.
There is a belief that towards the end of his marriage,
Abramovich was looking for something to fill the emotional and
recreational void in his life. At that moment, his energy and
commitment went into Chelsea. Rarely missing a home game, he was
also a regular visitor to the magnificent Chelsea training ground
being built at Cobham in Surrey.
This was a hands-on owner who liked nothing more than
mixing with his players. With his money, success came quickly with
consecutive Premier League titles under the flamboyant management
of Jose Mourinho. But something was still missing — the style and
exciting football that had first gripped Abramovich when he was a
guest at the spectacular Manchester United v Real Madrid Champions
League quarter-final in April 2003.
The Russian was also a little non-plussed when it was
Mourinho, rather than he, who received most of the credit for
turning the club around. Eventually, Mourinho talked himself out of
job to be replaced by Avram Grant, who would do as the boss
ordered. Meanwhile, Abramovich, 41, was spending more and more time
with former model Daria, 26.
Hating the spotlight that followed him here — and with
the political situation changing in his homeland — Abramovich has
been seen here less and less. Certainly, it is very difficult even
for those close to him to get an answer as to his future plans for
the club. Not long ago, Grant was expecting to meet Abramovich for
some guidance as to his continuing role at Stamford Bridge.
Instead, he was met by Abramovich’s ally Eugene Tenenbaum, who
apparently would go no further other than to say Grant was ‘doing a
good job’.
Today, Chelsea are at Newcastle, seeking a win to keep
the title race alive. Should they achieve that, it will go to
Sunday with United at Wigan and Chelsea at home to Bolton. But when
will Blues fans next see Abramovich?
Especially since most imagined he’d have wanted to be
at Stamford Bridge last week for one of the greatest night’s in the
club’s history — a night when Grant’s success validated the
Russian’s decision to oust Mourinho.
Or could it be that Daria has now replaced Chelsea as
the love of his life?