Former Chelsea scout, Piet de Visser, has revealed how Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich, saved his life.
De Visser said this while reacting to Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea after 19-years of ownership.
Abramovich had put Chelsea up for sale because of his questionable ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 55-year-old has decided to sell Chelsea after the threat of sanctions from the UK Government over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, triggering a bloody war in Eastern Europe.
And De Visser, who discovered the likes of Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne and Ronaldo, says Abramovich saved his life after he thought he would be forced to retire due to heart surgery.
De Visser told Algemeen Dagblad: “I remember well that I had just had open-heart surgery and subsequently had oesophagal cancer.
“I got over it, but I was a dead bird. So I called Roman to tell him that I, unfortunately, had to retire as a scout.
“I will never forget what he told me: ‘Piet, you can sign a contract for ten or twenty years.’
“You are on the verge of death and they tell you that they want to extend your contract for another ten or twenty years.
“Knowing that you mean a lot to someone gave me a lot of strength.
“Not to mention all those months that allowed me to recover on his boat and in his hotel. I dare to say that Roman saved my life.”
He added: “This is a hard blow because he is a very important person for the club. People have a wrong image of him.
“He is not based on money, he has a lot. That is an essential difference. He is a warm person.
“It will bother me because I talk about him in the press, and I will gladly accept his anger. But I want to clarify who the real Roman is.”
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