Chelsea news: How Sven-Goran Eriksson convinced Roman Abramovich to buy Blues instead of Tottenham
Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed how he managed to convince Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea instead of Tottenham in 2003.
The former England manager advised the Russian billionaire to opt for the Blues because he would “have to change the whole team” to win trophies with Spurs.
Eriksson suffered embarrassment on his first encounter with Abramovich though, mistaking the oligarch for a chauffeur.
“We met at Les Ambassadeurs (a casino in London),” Eriksson told The Times. “There were three men standing there. One is properly dressed, the other is so-so and the third, I thought he was the driver. Of course that was Roman.
“He wanted to buy a club in Moscow so we went to Moscow for three days. We saw all the clubs and I said buy Dinamo. They had the best facilities.
“I went on holiday and his right-hand man phoned. Roman changed his mind. He wants to buy a club in London.
“Tottenham or Chelsea? I said, ‘What does he want to do?’ He said he wants to win.
“I said, ‘So buy Chelsea. You have to change half the team. Tottenham you have to change the whole team.’”
The pair remain friends, with Abramovich winning 16 trophies in his time in west London, with Spurs picking up one trophy since the Russian’s takeover at Stamford Bridge.
