Luton vs Chelsea LIVE: FA Cup result and final score as Lukaku and Werner seal comeback after Abramovich news
Follow all the reaction from the fifth round tie at Kenilworth Road after the Chelsea owner announced the club is up for sale
Follow all the reaction Chelsea came from behind to beat Luton and advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup thanks to late goals from Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku. The Championship side threatened a shock after taking a 2-1 lead into half-time, but Chelsea turned it around in the second half to claim a victory on what had been a significant day in the club’s history.
It comes as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced his intention to sell the club, news that was released one hour before kick-off at Kenilworth Road. In a statement, Abramovich said: “I would like to address the speculation in media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea. As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners.”
In Abramovich’s statement, the Russian billionaire said he will not “be asking for any loans to be repaid”, adding the sale of the club will not be “fast-tracked”. He added: “I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss claimed he has been offered the chance to buy Chelsea while an American-based merchant bank has reportedly contacted potential buyers.
Follow live coverage of Luton vs Chelsea, plus reaction to tonight’s breaking news, below:
Roman Abramovich confirms intention to sell Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku seals Chelsea’s FA Cup comeback against Luton amid Roman Abramovich exit
‘It’s his choice and his club’: Thomas Tuchel stands by Roman Abramovich’s decision to put Chelsea up for sale
Conor McGregor tells Chelsea he’s interested in buying club from Roman Abramovich
Luton 1-0 Chelsea
10 mins: Ruben Loftus-Cheek is picking the ball up from centre-back, with Rudiger and Saar either side in a back-three.
Chelsea go long to Lukaku and there’s a glimpse of a chance. It runs through but Luton goalkeeper Jed Steer is down and looks in pain after going over his ankle.
Luton 1-0 Chelsea
7 mins: Remarkable scenes. Chelsea come forward for the first time through Werner on the left but his pull-back to Lukaku is easily cleared.
Burke then threatens again for a Luton set-piece, but the big man is flagged offside.
GOAL! Luton 1-0 Chelsea (BURKE 2’)
WHAT
It’s a nightmare start for Chelsea - and Luton lead! What a goal it is too. A corner from the left is met by Reece Burke, who steers a brilliant glancing header from the near post back across goal and past Kepa.
Kenilworth Road is rocking!
Tuchel: ‘We can’t control the situation’
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, speaking to the BBC, before the news that Roman Abramovich had put the club up for sale.
“There are things in and around to the club that we can’t control. We were focusing on the game rather than the situation that we can’t influence.”
Chelsea fans chant Abramovich’s name at Luton
Chelsea have won every major competition since Abramovich bought Chelsea 19 years ago, with last month’s Club World Cup completing their collection.
‘Far from inconceivable that Chelsea could be sold in two weeks'
As reported this afternoon by The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Roman Abramovich is hoping to create a bidding war for Chelsea, in a last attempt to maintain leverage, as he confirmed his intention to sell the club after almost 19 years.
Swiss philanthropist and environmentalist billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has publicly stated in newspaper Blick he is putting together a consortium, but is expected to face competition from at least two other potential bidders.
The Independent has separately been told that Abramovich has set a deadline for indicative bids, before a final round of negotiations. It is far from inconceivable that Chelsea could be sold by their next Premier League home game, which is against Newcastle United on 13 March.
Abramovich has previously rejected offers worth over £2bn for Chelsea, with five suitors having been interested in the last two years alone, and the club’s debt to him is £1.5bn - although he has since confirmed that he will not be asking the club to repay those loans.
Abramovich to sell Chelsea as threat of sanctions loom
Abramovich’s trophy asset made him a high-profile target for politicians demanding he be included among wealthy and influential Russians hit with British sanctions after a week of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
It is one of the most stunning business repercussions of President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Russia’s neighbour. Abramovich has faced calls to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which he so far has not done.
Parliamentary privilege had been used by Labour MP Chris Bryant to claim in the House of Commons on Tuesday that Abramovich was already looking to sell London properties, speculating that “he’s terrified of being sanctioned.”
The speed of Abramovich’s pending exit from Chelsea is striking as he was trying to instigate a plan this past weekend to relinquish some control in order to keep the club under his ownership.
But the charity regulator began investigating an attempt to try to distance himself from decision-making at Chelsea for the first time by announcing plans to shift the “stewardship and care” of the club its foundation trustees.
AP
Abramovich to sell Chelsea as threat of sanctions loom
Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, is facing the threat of sanctions from the British state and his attempt to pass the ownership of the club to its board of trustees proved unsuccessful.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss confirmed publicly on Wednesday that he was putting together a consortium to make a formal bid for the club after the US-based merchant bank Raine Group contacted potential buyers.
Abramovich said that all the net proceeds from the sale of the club will be donated to a charitable foundation “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”
The 55-year-old also confirmed that he will write off the £1.5bn in loans owed to him by the club.
Roman Abramovich confirms intention to sell Chelsea
The Russian billionaire, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, said he will donate all net proceeds from the sale to a charitable foundation ‘for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine’
Luton vs Chelsea after Abramovich announces intention to sell
Ah yes, there’s a game on tonight. Chelsea make nine changes from the team that started Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, with Kepa handed a start following his vital penalty miss in the shoot-out. Malang Sarr, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Saul, Kenedy and Ruben Loftus-Cheek come into the side, while Jorginho , Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku all came on from the bench at Wembley but start tonight.
But there’s only one story tonight - even a shock Chelsea defeat is unlikely to get much attention.
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