Abramovich Helps To Rebuild Local Stadium

Chelsea owner puts money into the Caribbean game

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While there is much debate in south-west London over whether Roman Abramovich is losing interest in football, there is plenty of evidence in the Caribbean that the Russian billionaire still loves the game. In 2010, he donated a reported €3million to help revamp the Stade de Saint-Jean on Saint Barthelemy, and he stepped in again to help rebuild it after Hurricane Irma devastated St Bart’s in 2017.

“We have the huge chance and advantage of having a football fan who has one of the most beautiful homes on our island and is the owner of the Chelsea club,” says Jeremy Merlet, a consultant for the Comite Territorial de Football de Saint-Barthelemy (CTFSB), which runs football on the island.

Like most of France’s overseas possessions, St Bart’s is a member of the French association and is also affiliated to the League of Guadeloupe, which is in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and CONCACAF but not FIFA.