Legendary Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has leapt to the defence of the club's achievements during the Roman Abramovich era. During his time with the London side, the English midfielder won three Premier League titles and retains deep respect for the owner who fundamentally changed the team’s history.
Amid the fierce accusations directed at Manchester City over financial fair play violations, Lampard recalled similar criticism that Chelsea faced following Abramovich's arrival in 2003. Rival teams and the press were quick to accuse the London club of having 'bought their title'.
In an interview with The New York Times, Lampard stated:
I played for Chelsea for 13 years, and when Roman Abramovich came in and assembled that squad, people were saying: 'You’ve bought the title'. But we had to beat Manchester United to win — this is football at the highest level. All you think is: 'Can we win something?' City have done that, and now all these talks are inevitable — as a footballer, I didn’t want to be part of that. When I played, my job was to get my head down and enjoy playing with fantastic teammates.
Lampard has every right to take pride in his achievements with the Blues, as he not only clinched Premier League gold but also led the club to their historic first Champions League trophy in the 2011/12 season. Despite his experience at Manchester City, the Englishman refrains from passing harsh judgments on the current situation surrounding the Citizens. Now, Lampard is focused on his managerial role, as his Coventry City side has had a rocky start to the 2026/27 season and finds itself battling for survival in the lower half of the table.
