The News Agents Weekend Edition: Poison, Chelsea's frozen £2.5bn & training Ascot winners - The Sports Agents
Jun 20, 2025
Mike Penrose, former executive director of UNICEF, discusses the complexities surrounding the £2.5 billion from the Chelsea FC sale and why it isn’t currently aiding millions of children. He dives into the gripping story of Roman Abramovich’s alleged poisoning amidst conflict. Additionally, listeners get an insider's view on training racehorses for Royal Ascot, complete with anecdotes about the late Queen's equestrian passion. The conversation also touches on the hurdles faced in global humanitarian aid and the adrenaline-fueled world of endurance racing.
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Potential Humanitarian Fund Scale
- The £2.5bn from Chelsea's sale could create the largest humanitarian fund globally.
- An expert board was to oversee spending for victims of conflict, distributing about £350m yearly for ten years.
Legal Sanctions Freeze Funds
- EU sanctions rules complicate spending Chelsea sale money globally.
- The money remains frozen because it still legally belongs to Abramovich, restricting its use to certain regions.
Abramovich Poisoning Incident
- Roman Abramovich was poisoned during a secretive trip to Kiev amid the Ukraine war.
- He lost sight temporarily and experienced severe symptoms after a mysterious phone call.