Oligarchic supremacy in football is over now that Roman Abramovich’s tenure as Chelsea F.C. owner is ending. Well, that’s what the Western political-media class wants us to think. In reality, it is the scourge of global financial capitalism which is hurting the British working class and its beloved sporting pastime.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine — prompted by a NATO effort to turn the country into a military and economic vassal state of the U.S. — the British political-media class rushed to condemn Russian businesses and billionaires. Roman Abramovich, one of London’s richest financiers, soon caught flak for his ties to Vladimir Putin’s government. David Davis MP alleged that his 2003 purchase of Chelsea Football Club was done under Kremlin influence. Dame Margaret Hodge MP urged Boris Johnson to sanction Abramovich, saying he should never be allowed to own a club. The Russian-Israeli billionaire’s time as Chelsea custodian is now over, with the U.K. government announcing sanctions against him last Thursday. No matter how much the West attempts to portray Russian business as a pernicious outside influence, Abramovich’s investment should be seen as part of London’s global role — a city spearheading the violent world disorder.
Billionaire Jungle: London Beyond Abramovich
London has been a great city for many years, but only recently has it become what Rowland Atkinson calls the Alpha City. The fact that it’s the alpha among alphas is not a good thing, at least not for your average Londoner. The professor focuses on how the U.K. capital became “a playground for the wealthy and a hothouse in which to grow capital under hydroponic conditions, carefully tended by the city’s politicians and financial institutions.” Atkinson, who chairs the University of Sheffield’s Inclusive Society, explains that London is not your average super-wealthy metropolis, like New York or Tokyo.