Chelsea had just finished the 2002/03 Premier League season in fourth, 16 points behind champions Manchester United. This, Abramovich felt, was nowhere near good enough.
With his remarkably deep pockets, the Russian embarked on an ambitious, aggressive overhaul of Chelsea in an attempt to establish the Blues as a European heavyweight.
Seventeen years and 16 trophies later, it is fair to say that he has been successful. And on Sunday, Abramovich will celebrate 1000 games as Chelsea owner.
So here, as Blues boss Frank Lampard plots how to mark the occasion with three points against Tottenham Hotspur, we look back at the oligarch’s 10 most iconic moments at Stamford Bridge.Abramovich wasted little time in pouring money into his Chelsea revamp.
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