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Chairman Bruce Buck has told fans that he believes Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is still totally committed to the club.
Russian billionaire Abramovich has not watched a game at Stamford Bridge since May last year when he was denied a visa.
Abramovich, 52, subsequently left London and relocated to Israel. But Buck has said: “Everything he’s doing reaffirms his commitment to Chelsea. We hear from him several times a day and he’s talking to us about players, commercial activities and our good causes. So I would say he’s committed to Chelsea.”
Concern arose earlier this week after club accounts revealed that Abramovich had given up his director’s box at Stamford Bridge.
Abramovich has spent at least £1million on corporate hospitality boxes every year since 2011, but didn’t renew his purchases for the start of the 2018-19 season.
Meanwhile, Eden Hazard says he is willing to help Callum Hudson-Odoi as much as possible — with his main piece of advice being for the winger to stay modest.
Hudson-Odoi, 18, has thrilled Chelsea fans with his cameo appearances this season, bagged an assist on his first Premier League start on Wednesday, and has already won two senior England caps.
Hazard, who burst onto the scene as a talented teenager at Lille, says Hudson-Odoi has everything to become a star, but should not listen too closely to the hype.
After the mid-week 3-0 win over Brighton, Hazard said: “I think the guy was waiting to start a game in the Premier League but he is ready. You can see the way he is taking the ball, he is playing with a lot of confidence. He is still young and can improve of course, but yeah, he is already very good. If he wants to ask me something I will tell him, no problem, but he is a great player already, he has everything already.”
“You know I told him if he stays humble, for me it is the best thing, to stay humble. Just work in training, score goals, and then just be happy on the pitch. He can go very far. I was not at first listening to everything (the hype). I think my family also helped me to stay humble. In football you can be at the top in two months and then in two months everyone can forget about you, but I think if you keep your feet on the floor and train it is better.”
“I think for him it is easy because the players he has around him are quite humble. If we were all thinking we are the best, for him it can be hard to stay humble. But he is intelligent, has a family that cares for him.”
Hudson-Odoi has scored four times and supplied five assists in his nine starts for Chelsea in all competitions.