Former Chelsea star Frank Lampard has opened up about life at the club during the Roman Abramovich era.

The Russian billionaire owned Chelsea from 2003 to 2022, buying the club when they were nearly in administration.

He was forced to sell the Blues in 2022 due to Russia's attack and subsequent war on Ukraine.

Lampard revealed the brutal threats Abramovich made to his Chelsea players on The Overlap.

Lampard said: "Roman had a few harsh meetings with us in his first few years when he was more present.

"One was before we played Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League [in 2011], he would just come in and be really harsh.

"What he said was always translated, which makes it even harsher.

"The Russian while we waited for the translation - it wasn't going to be good.

"He was like: 'Do I think we are going to win this game? No. Will you be here next season if we don't win this game? A lot of you, no.'

"This was two hours before the game."