Chelsea fans interrupt minute's silence for Ukraine to chant Roman Abramovich's name

Chelsea fans on Saturday chanted Roman Abramovic's name before the side's Premier League match against Burnley. The incident occurred minutes before the kick-off, as players from both clubs prepared for a moment of applause to demonstrate support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war. Chelsea fans, on the other hand, elected to chant Abramovic's name in order to pay tribute to the Russian oligarch, who has decided to sell the club in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

Abramovic is credited with giving Chelsea a massive boost and enabling them to become a successful Premier League team. However, due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Abramovic on Wednesday revealed his plans to sell Chelsea. When the clubs prepared for a minute of applause for Ukraine prior to Saturday's match between Chelsea and Burnley, fans began screaming Abramovic's name to express their support for the billionaire.

The incident, however, did not sit well with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who stated that it was not the appropriate time to chant Abramovic's name. Tuchel noted at his post-match press conference that the incident did not reflect on his players or the club and that they take pleasure in treating others with respect. Tuchel claimed that the timing of the messaging was not appropriate because everyone was showing sympathy with Ukraine at the time.

"It was not the moment to do this. We take a knee together. If an important person from our club or another club unfortunately dies, we show a minute of respect, it is not the moment to give other messages, it's a moment to show respect. We do this because this is what we are, we show respect as a club, and we need our fans to commit to this minute of applause," Tuchel was quoted as saying at his post-match press conference. 

"We do it for Ukraine, there is no second opinion about the situation there. They have our thoughts and our support; we should stand together as a club. It's not the moment for other messages," Tuchel added. 

Russia-Ukraine war

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine last Thursday through the land, air, and sea. Putin, in a pre-dawn address to the nation, announced his army has invaded Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his response, imposed martial law in the country and urged fellow citizens to pick up arms against the invading troops. Both countries have begun talks to try and put an early end to the war but the fighting on the ground still continues.

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