Barred From UK: Billionaire Roman Abramovich Forced to Return to True Homeland in Israel
According to The Daily Mail, Abramovich's Israeli passport can ruin British football: The headline reads that he "will be barred from working for Chelsea FC while he is in the UK." The future of the respectable London football club is apparently in question because it's owner changed the Foggy Albion for the Promised Land. It's unclear now who will fire the coaches and buy the players, but it's clear that Abramovich is in a different line of work in Israel. There are new photos already: he changed the scarf of a fan for a lab coat and a mask in order to painlessly invest in the production of lithium batteries.
A report by Sergey Pashkov.
Roman Abramovich arrived at the Ben Gurion International Airport on a luxurious private Boeing, which the local press estimated to be worth 53 million pounds. He had to receive the rest of the documents as a regular Olim Chadashim — the new repatriate.
A Teudat Zehut, the Israeli identity document, was given to him here at the arrivals zone. And one minute later, the billionaire went to open a bank account and, in due order, to get an Israeli medical insurance policy. The first visit to the new homeland made an indelible impression upon the Israeli. A famous TV host, Shaya Stern, is already preparing his evening show.
Shaya Stern, journalist: "First of all, the girls are excited because they say Abramovich is single, secondly, because he might invest in his new homeland, and it's also important to us that he buy a house related to our star — Gal Gadot".
Indeed, in a quiet coastal district surrounded by cafes and theaters, like a Tel-Aviv Montmartre, there is a house which once belonged to the husband of a Hollywood star. The house is being called the Beit Roman – the house of Roman.
It's a whole residential compound which features several elegant single-storied palaces that once belonged to the Versano brothers. There used to be a hotel here, but according to the local press, the entities of Abramovich bought it for 25 million dollars in 2015. The new Israeli residence of the Chelsea owner is supposed to be built here.
But it's doubtful that the collecting of residencies on various continents is something that motivated the businessman to obtain Israeli citizenship. Maybe the impulsive decision was made when, on the green Wembley lawn, Roman Abramovich's club clinched victory from Manchester United in the FA Cup finals. But the owner of the club watched the game from Moscow. It was reported that the British authorities didn't extend his investor visa.
Dmitry Gololobov, professor at the University of Westminster: "They tried to bring up the migration question, which is the easiest topic because there are a lot of laws; lots of opportunities for the government to refuse. In this case, it comes down to a ruling by a minister. It's bad for Britain that Mr. Abramovich has no social benefit, only social harm. And Abramovich answered by showing a list of donations, how much he spent on Chelsea, etc. I personally know that he donated considerable sums to sick children, and I mean huge sums".
This local lawyer thinks that the Israeli passport will allow Abramovich to quench his thirst for traveling. He would need to show his Russian passport only when entering the Emirates.
Eli Gervits, lawyer: "It has been almost a year since the new repatriates have been receiving a Darkon international passport right away. It allows visa-free entry into almost 150 countries, and one of them is definitely England".
But the status of a regular tourist would hardly satisfy Roman Abramovich. It allows him to stay in England for 6 months, but according to Downing Street, it doesn't allow to do business here, for example, to direct Chelsea's activities. And this fact made the fans of the London club pretty angry.
Ryan Weston, Chelsea fan: "When this guy came to the country, he provided work for many people. Thanks to him, my club won a lot of cups, and the government received a lot of money due to the tax revenue from his entities. I think that such people have a positive influence upon our country and I think we are moving in the wrong direction. It's disgusting to expel people based on what country they came from".
Proud of their Eurovision victory, the Israelis dream that soon Roman Abramovich will lead an Israeli club to victory in the Champions League. After all, according to the money conservation equation, if one loses something, the other wins something, and something big.
Sergey Pashkov, Alexander Ivanuk, Varvara Galembo, Vesti, Tel-Aviv.