John Terry urged to take down 'appalling' tribute to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich

Former Chelsea footballer John Terry has been urged to take down a tribute to the club’s owner Roman Abramovich.

Mr Terry posted an image of himself alongside Mr Abramovich on his Instragam on Thursday, with the caption "the best".

Labour MP Chris Bryant then responded, slamming the post and urging for it to be removed from social media.

He said: “This is appalling.

"I think John Terry you should take this down ASAP. The people of Ukraine are being bombed, shelled and murdered while you celebrate Abramovich."

The post comes days after Russian billionaire confirmed he is openly looking to sell Chelsea, as calls for him to be sanctioned over the Kremlin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine continue to grow.

John Terry (L) celebrating with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich
Martin Rickett

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Bryant added: "Some of us are anxious about why we're not going further on the sanctioning of individuals.

"It's a mystery to me why Roman Abramovich has not yet been sanctioned. The Government itself knows he's been engaged in illicit activity and he's a person of concern to the Government, which is why they've not been encouraging him to come to the UK.”

John Terry's post to the Chelsea owner
Twitter / @JohnTerry26

In a statement released on Wednesday, Mr Abramovich said: "The sale of the club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid.

"This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and club. Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.

"The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.

"This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the club.

"I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements.

"Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.

"Thank you, Roman."