Kieran Maguire

Sat 6 August 2022 15:52, UK

Richard Masters’ comments about former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the Premier League’s owners and directors’ test are “strange” and could set an unwanted precedent for the competition.

That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the top-flight CEO’s controversial remarks.

Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea to a consortium led by American billionaire Todd Boehly in May.

The transfer of power followed UK Government sanctions against Abramovich because of his connections to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

As quoted by The Athletic on Monday (1 August), Masters suggested that Abramovich’s takeover in 2003 may not have been allowed under the current owners’ and directors’ test.

But Maguire is sceptical about what exactly the 55-year-old oligarch had done at the time that would have been deemed outside the rules.

“The rules are designed by the Premier League owners, for Premier League owners,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.

“The last thing an owner wants to do is reduce the potential pool of people who might want to buy the club off you in five or 10 years’ time. The rules are actually relatively relaxed.

“I found Masters’ comments rather strange because I’m not aware of anything that Abramovich has done that was illegal in 2003. We were on slightly more cordial relationships with Russia.

“So, if he is going to say that, is he going to start to make other comments about the owners of other clubs based on ethics, human rights and so on? The Premier League could be on a bit of a sticky wicket if that is the case.”

In other news, pundit tells Chelsea to “drive Timo Werner to the airport” after talks development.