Besides Abramovich, Here Are 2 Russian Billionaire Friends Of Vladimir Putin Who Loves Football: A Dream To Buy Barcelona And Real Madrid

Vladimir Putin (Instagram @leadervladimirputin)

JAKARTA - Russian billionaires have long shown their interest in football. One prime example is Roman Abramovich who became the owner of Chelsea.

Since arriving at Chelsea in 2003, Abramovich has invested more than two billion euros to bring in top players. The Blues have recorded 67 players in one season.

In the last decade, Chelsea have won two Champions League trophies. A figure surpassed only by Real Madrid's four titles.

Another Russian businessman, Alisher Usmanov, also stepped into the football business in August 2007. He acquired a small stake in Arsenal.

Usmanov did sell his stake in the Gunners 11 years later and decided to invest in acquiring the naming rights to the Everton team's training ground.

One of Usmanov's companies, Megafon, was a sleeve sponsor for The Toffees training outfit in 2019. However, the club suspended both deals earlier this month following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

After deciding to sell his stake in Arsenal, Usmanov expressed interest in acquiring Barcelona, ​​without knowing the procedures and conditions for becoming a member of the Catalan club.

Usmanov is a strategic figure in Vladimir Putin's politics, having invested in Facebook, Twitter and other social networks in Russia.

Following the EU sanctions and the pressure placed on his figure, he decided to suspend his activities at the International Fencing Federation (FIE).

Another entrepreneur is Vladimir Lisin, President of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). He once asked a Spanish friend of his to find a La Liga club he could invest in.

"How much is Real Madrid?" Lisin casually once asked a friend, quoted by Marca.