Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri has spoken of his first time meeting with Roman Abramovich.
Ranieri was Blues manager when Abramovich bought the club in 2019.
He recalled: "He was young and enthusiastic. He was like a kid in the playground. He was very present. He came often to the games and sometimes, to talk calmly, he traveled in his private plane after returning from a trip.
"He wanted to be informed and understand. He bought Chelsea because we had qualified for the Champions League on the last day of the championship, beating Liverpool. If we hadn't achieved that goal, the Blues ' story would have been different."
On current manager Thomas Tuchel, Ranieri added: "Tuchel? It seems to me that he is behaving very well. Will he be able to keep the team together? I have no doubts. The championship is a Manchester City-Liverpool duel, but Chelsea is still in the race for the Champions League."
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!