During his tenure as owner of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich refused to sell any of his former players to rival team Tottenham Hotspur. This even included blocking Carlton Cole’s proposed move to Spurs. The former Blues striker revealed that the Russian oligarch, who bought the West London club in 2003, would not sanction any deal with Tottenham. Speaking on talkSPORT, Cole said that he had almost joined Spurs and had even completed his medical examination. However, Abramovich found out and insisted that Cole return to Chelsea, saying that he did not do business with Tottenham. The only player from Chelsea’s Abramovich era to join Spurs was Carlo Cudicini, who was allowed to leave on a free transfer in 2009.
Cole also revealed that Abramovich had tried to get him to move to Russia instead of joining Tottenham. The former striker said that he was trying to get into the England team at the time and could not go abroad as it would have affected his chances of being selected. Abramovich had offered him a new contract but insisted that he join CSKA Moscow, his other team. However, Cole refused the offer, saying that he would not go to Moscow.
The rivalry between Chelsea and Tottenham has been bitter both on and off the pitch. In 2016, several players from both sides clashed in what became known as the Battle of the Bridge. Abramovich was close to buying Tottenham before he took over at Chelsea. He had reportedly picked Chelsea only after they qualified for the Champions League in the 2002-03 season under Claudio Ranieri. This started his obsession with the English Premier League, which resulted in multiple top-flight crowns and two Champions League titles over two decades.
Cole, who came through the ranks at Stamford Bridge, eventually left the club in 2006 to join West Ham. He has previously revealed that he left Chelsea due to a lack of first-team opportunities. During his time at West Ham, Cole scored 68 goals in 293 games.