John Mikel Obi has revealed that former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich is still pained over the loss of the club to new owners.

The Russian billionaire was forced to sell the club he had transformed since taking over in 2003 due to his close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which prompted a potential seizing of his assets due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Mikel Obi, a former midfielder of the Blues, believes the club has struggled to maintain the same level they had under the ownership of the Russian businessman.

Speaking on his Obi One podcast show, the 37-year-old stated that Abramovich treated the club like his baby.

"There is no Chelsea Football Club today, we all have to understand that. Where we are and the successes that we've had over these years, I promise you, are without Roman Abramovich. It is just unfortunate what happened; you know he lost the football club.

"I still speak to people close to him, and it still pains him. He is still angry about what happened because he lost his baby—because Chelsea Football Club was his baby. He really cared about the football club, not just the players, but the fans as well."