Chelsea transfers advisor and Dutch scouting guru Piet de Visser has jumped to the defence of Roman Abramovich.
The Russian billonaire is in the process of selling Chelsea due to pressure from the British government.
De Visser told AD: “It’s not about money for Roman, he has money. That is an essential difference. In reality, he is a warm personality. I may get the yellow card from Roman because I talked about him in the press, he would rather not have that. But I stand by what I’ve said. I will gladly accept that card. Just because I want to tell who the real Roman is.
“Because Roman himself never talks to the press, many see him as a cold oligarch,” continues De Visser. “That hurts me a lot. It is not correct. Hence my need to stand up for him. The truth is, he has a big social heart. That can also be said. The fact that the money from the club sale benefits the victims of war in Ukraine is an unmistakable sign to him.
“I remember well that I had just had open heart surgery when I was subsequently struck down by esophageal cancer. I was completely through it: I was really a dead bird. That’s when I called Roman to tell him that unfortunately I had to retire as a Chelsea scout. I will never forget what he said to me. ‘Piet’, he said, ‘ you can sign a contract for ten or twenty years’.
“You don’t believe that, do you? You are on the brink of death and are then told that he wants to extend your contract for another ten or twenty years. That announcement that you apparently mean so much to someone has given me so much strength. Not to mention all those months that I was allowed to recover with him on his boat and in his hotel. I dare say Roman saved my life. Without him I wouldn’t have been here.”