Roman Abramovich is suing the Sun for a reported £200,000 following its publication of a story mockingly suggesting he'd eaten Jose Mourinho and using a badly superimposed image of Mourinho's head on a plate in front of Abramovich who was brandishing a steak knife. The Chelsea boss has taken exception to the suggestion he undervalues Mourinho's contributuon to his club's success and claims the article has damaged his reputation and caused him distress.
His defamation action centres on two issues - first, defamation by innuendo - the picture and accompanying 'story' and second, the fact that Abramovich claims the Sun didn't afford him a right to reply or comment on the piece they published. Unless the Sun can come up with a good defence - and public interest isn't going to work here - it could be their head he has on a legal plate. If the Times can get hit with a £250,000 libel award - since reduced to £50,000 - over suggestions by a commentator that Southampton's boss had behaved 'shabbily' then Mediabeak does not much fancy the chances of the Sun in this action.
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