Spokesperson denies report Roman Abramovich detained by FBI in US

    Roman Abramovich has not been detained, his representatives have said (Picture: PA)

Reports that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had been arrested by the FBI have been denied by the club, his spokesman and US investigators themselves.

Citing sources, Russian news agency RBC said Mr Abramovich had been detained without elaborating.

But his Moscow spokesman John Mann issued a firm denial.

‘It’s not true,’ Mr Mann said. ‘He is in the US but he has not been arrested or detained.’

The RBC claims initially spread on Twitter, with the Russian news agency later appearing to distance itself from the story.

‘Anyone who calls and asks: We have no information. We are waiting for updates from colleagues; call them,’ RBC said in a tweet posted in Russian.

The rumours also saw shares in Evraz holdings, the steel firm of which Mr Abramovich is a major shareholder in, drop by six per cent in London.

The 46-year-old oligarch, who made his fortune in the 1990s as Russia emerged from Communism, bought Chelsea FC in June 2003 and has since spent more than £1billion on the club.

source: metro.co.UK