Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has received an apology from the publishing company HarperCollins.
The company had published a claim that Abramovich only bought Chelsea because he was told to do so by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The defamation case Abramovich has been pursuing against HarperCollins and author Catherine Belton is coming to a conclusion.
Belton's book "Putin's People" stated that Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 on Putin's orders, which is a claim from Russian billionaire Sergi Pugachev.
"We are pleased that HarperCollins and the author have apologised to Mr Abramovich and amended the book, removing several false claims about him," said Abramovich's spokesperson.
"These statements lacked evidence and were indeed false.
"This follows the English High Court's determination that the book did indeed include several defamatory claims about Mr Abramovich. In total, amendments resulting in the deletion or addition of over 1,700 words have been agreed.
"As Mr Abramovich stated when issuing his claim earlier this year, its sole purpose was to refute the false allegations published regarding his name and have them corrected, including the false statements made about the nature of the purchase and activities of Chelsea Football Club.
"In contrast to events relayed in the book, Mr Abramovich's ambition with Chelsea Football Club has always been clear and transparent: to create world-class teams on the pitch and to ensure the club plays a positive role in all of its communities.
"The club's successes and activities over the years speak for themselves, including the trophies won, expansion of the Chelsea academy, development of the women's team, and the Chelsea Foundation becoming the largest charitable organisation within the Premier League.
"We are pleased that today's changes and the resulting apology address the false allegations made on this subject and look forward to further developing Chelsea's many positive initiatives in the UK, most notably our programmes combating anti-Semitism and racism.
"HarperCollins should be, and now have been, held to reasonable publishing standards and have ample financial resources to withstand a well-founded legal claim that seeks to correct the record.
"As the objectives of this legal claim have never been punitive, we have not asked for any damages to be paid. We have, however, asked that HarperCollins makes a donation in lieu of damages to a charitable organisation, to which they have agreed."
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!
