Roman Abramovich forced to return to Russia after ‘delay’ renewing UK visa

Roman Abramovich’s UK visa is yet to be renewed after it reportedly ran out in April, forcing the billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club to return to Russia.

Abramovich often attends significant Chelsea matches but was not at Wembley on Saturday for the club’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester United. His visa request has not been rejected by the home office, according to the Financial Times, but authorities have been unusually slow over the process and are yet to offer an explanation for the delay.

The 51-year-old made his fortune, worth an estimated £8.3bn, predominantly in the oil industry in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He bought Chelsea from Ken Bates in 2003 for £140m and invested heavily in the club, building its commercial power, establishing a new training complex and bringing in new players and staff.

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He has developed a reputation for giving managers little time to prove themselves, but despite the high turnover of coaches Chelsea have achieved great success under his ownership, winning five league titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, one Champions League and one Europa League.

The Security Minister Ben Wallace said the Home Office “do not routinely comment on individual cases”. Abramovich’s spokesperson declined to comment.