Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Russia's Ukraine invasion cast shadow over League Cup final

"We should not pretend that this is not an issue," manager Thomas Tuchel said ahead of Sunday's EFL Cup final

The 19 years in which Roman Abramovich has owned Chelsea have seen the west London club become the talk of the British press. Until recent days, it's largely been for the impact the 55-year-old and his billions have had on the football pitch. Now, Thomas Tuchel's side prepare for a cup final at a time when their ties to Russia are under the sharpest of spotlights.

Chelsea are among the most visible representations of Russian influence beyond its border, and in particular in London. The club is a footballing superpower bankrolled to the tune of billions by one of the most wealthiest people on the planet. Abramovich has consistently denied links with Vladimir Putin, going so far as to launch a libel claim over the suggestion that he had bought the club in 2003 on the Russian president's instructions.

As one of the most high profile Russian individuals in the U.K., Abramovich finds himself at the center of the discussion over the country's influence in London in particular. On Wednesday, Labour MP Chris Bryant used parliamentary privilege to discuss a leaked 2019 document from the U.K.'s Home Office in which it was alleged Abramovich was a person of interest to the British government "due to his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices. An example of this is Abramovich admitting in court proceedings that he paid for political influence."