Former Chelsea owner and chairman Ken Bates, who bought the club for £1 in 1982 and later sold it to Roman Abramovich in 2003, has died.
Chelsea announced Bates passed away peacefully in Monaco on Saturday morning, surrounded by his wife and family according to BBC SPORT.
“Ken’s determination to fight for Chelsea when times were tough, and drive the team on to winning trophies will never be forgotten,” the club said in a statement.
Bates took on £1.5m of debt to rescue Chelsea from the old Second Division, later overseeing FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup triumphs under Ruud Gullit and beyond.
He later owned Leeds United from 2005 to 2012. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust called him “one of the most significant figures” in the club’s modern history.
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