Russian warning to British clubs

Roman Abramovich has transformed Chelsea

Outgoing Hearts director Liutauras Varanavicius believes more British clubs will fall into the hands of rich owners from Eastern Europe.

Chelsea, Portsmouth and Hearts are just three clubs to have benefited from investment from such sources.

"Maybe it is very strange for people in England and Scotland, countries which have been running football for ages," said Varanavicius.

"But the Russians are coming everywhere. That is the reality."

Billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has transformed Chelsea into the dominant force in English football.

Portsmouth co-owner Alexandre Gaydamak - a French national of Russian descent - has invested £20m into the Premiership club.

There is no question of this being illegal Outgoing Hearts director Liutauras Varanavicius

Lithuanian-based Russian banker Vladimir Romanov has gained control of Hearts and turned them into Celtic's main challengers in the Scottish Premier League this season.

"Uefa is very positive about investing money in football," said Varanavicius.

"I expect very soon, in the next two to three years, you will have more Russian owners of Premiership clubs.

"Football has changed and cross-border ownership has already become a reality.

"It is at the beginning of the change. I know already that Hibernian tried to make a deal with Chelsea and some people are looking to Scotland also.

"I know that there are a lot of Russian business people who are looking at the Premiership."

Varanavicius discounted fears that Romanov was looking at using Hearts as a short-term cash cow.

"There are people in the world who like to spend their money on casinos or girls," he said. "Some like to spend it on football.

"Romanov is a passionate person about football and his idea is he wants to be in an area where the football is prime."

There have been suggestions that Uefa and the Scottish FA wish to investigate the arrangement whereby Lithuanian club Kaunas, whose main sponsor is Romanov's bank, Ukio Bankas, has loaned seven players to Hearts.

But Varanavicius, who is also president of Lithuania's FA, said: "We have no problem with this as long as it is done in accordance with Fifa's rules.

"It is primarily a cash-flow situation for Romanov. He has sponsorship in Lithuania and then loans the players to Scotland - it's a normal way.

"There is no question of this being illegal. I hope some of those players could come back to Kaunas and play when they have finished in Scotland.

"If he was not putting money into Lithuania then I would never have helped him to do anything abroad, but he puts a lot of money into Lithuanian football and, for the last seven years, he has invested five times more than anyone else."