Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, accused of turning football market upside down since buying the Premiership club three years ago, said money is not the most dominant factor in the game. In a rare interview published by The Observer on Sunday, the Russian tycoon said the real beauty of football is about something totally different from money. "Money plays an important role in football but it is not the dominating factor," the 40-year-old Abramovich said. "When Chelsea play a Carling Cup game in a small city and it could result in a draw - the excitement, the spirit, the atmosphere - that's the real beauty of football in England." Abramovich has spent some 500 million English pounds since taking over Chelsea's ownership in 2003. He wrote off the club's huge debts, developed the academy and facilities, signed world-class players and manager and won the latest two Premiership titles, ending 50 years of league trophies drought.
New rules have been set in the transfer market as giant English and European clubs admitted that Chelsea's buying abilities can't be contested. Although Chelsea made it clear that they target being the World's biggest club by 2014, warning notes have been issued that Abramovich's interest in the world of football may fade any time as it did in oil and politics years ago. Abramovich brushed aside these reports. "People who know me said I will win one or two Premierships and will not be interested after that," he said. "The reality is that we've won two Premierships but I'm more excited about this particular season than last year or the year before. "I'm getting excited before every single game. The trophy at the end is less important than the process itself."
