Three of Roman Abramovich’s closest aides left his Chelsea-based management firm on the day that Russia invaded Ukraine, Companies House records show.
The trio ceased to be people with significant control of MHC (Services) Ltd, which has its registered address at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium and managed Abramovich’s personal life and travel.
They were replaced by David Davidovich, pictured, who previously worked as a senior adviser at Abramovich’s former company Sibneft before it was sold to Gazprom.
The trio includes Christian Sponring, who was the oligarch’s former chef and then became his chief steward in charge of his personal arrangements.
The other two aides are Demetris Ioannides, who, according to a 2012 High Court case, is the trustee of a Cyprus-registered trust of which Abramovich is the beneficiary, and Anna Haykin.
Advertisement
Chelsea’s director, Marina Granovskaia, the key figure in all the transfer and contract deals, started out working for MHC as Abramovich’s chief assistant before moving to the club’s board.
MHC’s most recent accounts reveal that its parent company is Norma Investments Ltd, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands. According to the Wall Street Journal, control of Norma Investments was also passed to Davidovich on February 24. Davidovich is himself said to be worth £1.2 billion.
Buck joke fails to land
Bruce Buck, the Chelsea chairman, was quizzed by Premier League rivals this week over the promise that all the proceeds from the sale of the club will go to a charity for war victims.
One club executive asked how the government was going to ensure the money ended up in the hands of those who needed it most, to which Buck replied: “It will be in my NatWest account for ten years.” His joke, however, fell flat, as nobody even chuckled.
No Covid vaccinations required for Birmingham 2022
Athletes will not be obliged to have Covid vaccinations for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.
Advertisement
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has said it will follow UK law and will allow unvaccinated athletes to take part, with a spokesman saying: “It is the strong recommendation and expectation of the CGF that all teams and delegations coming to the Commonwealth Games are fully vaccinated.”
Fifa warning on face mask logos at World Cup
Fifa has warned that players and officials at the World Cup later this year will be banned from wearing face masks which have the manufacturer’s logo visible or any advertising.
The ban, which is contained in Fifa’s media and marketing regulations for Qatar 2022, aims to prevent any ambush marketing and extends to bags, clothing and headphones anywhere outside the team hotels.
Bubka not touching politics with a barge pole
Sergey Bubka, the former pole vault champion who is the head of Ukraine’s national Olympic committee and an IOC member, has found himself in a slightly uncomfortable position having previously supported the country’s former president Viktor Yanukovych, who favoured closer ties with Russia.
Bubka has said he is no longer involved in politics and is instead heavily involved in efforts to help Ukraine’s athletes and their families. He has called for an end to the war, but not once in a lengthy interview with the IOC’s website, nor on his Twitter posts, has he ever mentioned the R-word: Russia.
Advertisement
Navratilova hits out at IOC over transgender athletes
Martina Navratilova has criticised the IOC for failing to take a decisive line on transgender athletes in women’s sport.
The former tennis star was speaking after Lia Thomas, who previously competed for the men’s team at the University of Pennsylvania, became the first known transgender swimmer to win a US college title, beating Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Emma Weyant into second place.
The IOC has left it up to individual sports to decide on their trans policies and Navratilova, a member of the women’s sports policy working group, told NewsNation: “This is not a fair fight; if I were a female swimmer I wouldn’t have a chance against Lia. All the governing bodies of sport have kicked the can down the road and don’t want to talk about it.”
