UNTOLD ARSENAL » 2008 » December » 08

The owner of CSKA Fulham has gained some financial relief after the Russian government has loaned $1.8 billion to the steel company Evraz.  But the situation is getting ever worse for the football club.

Abramovich owns much of Evraz (having sold his interest in Sibneft the oil company).  But Evraz, with debts of over $10bn was on the edge of going bust – taking much of Abramovich’s money with it, when the government stepped in to save him and it.  Mr Abramovich is thought to have paid over $3 bn for his shares in Evraz.

The Abramovich media men who place stories in the press say that although there are huge cuts going on at Chelsea in terms of its budgets, this is quite a separate matter from how the owner is trying to dig himself out of his financial difficulties.

I’ve mentioned one or two points about CSKA Fulham’s financial situation, such as the fact that they can’t have any more Abramovich money, and the entire department of 15 scouts which aimed to emulate Arsenal’s World-Wide Scouting empire have all been sacked.  Additionally the Observer has been reporting that “several major capital projects” have been cut part way through, they have “introduced savings on club equipment and publications and are considering charging players for meals.”

Another area of development – their ladies team – looks also to be hitting the buffers.  In the summer they signed two of Arsenal’s England stars (Sanderson and Asante) and  Arsenal’s reserve team coach Steve Jones, and declared the aim to have the England  international team playing for them shortly.

Chelsea then said,  “These great signings (of Sanderson and Asante) will tell the women’s football world that this could be the place to come and play your football.”

Just to show how far CSKA Fulham Ladies have come was seen yesterday as Arsenal sauntered past them 4-0 in the league cup semi-final.  It seems fairly likely that the cuts that are sweeping around Chelsea will also include the ladies team shortly, leaving those who joined the “place to come and play your football” wishing that they hadn’t moved.