Threatening Abramovich ally would be 'suicide', soccer agent tells London court

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FA Cup Semi Final - Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - April 17, 2022 Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and technical & performance advisor Petr Cech before the match REUTERS/David Klein/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - A soccer agent on Wednesday denied threatening a senior director at the English Premier League club Chelsea in an email, telling a London court that trying to intimidate an ally of former owner Roman Abramovich would be a "suicide mission".

Saif Rubie is on trial over an email he sent to Marina Granovskaia in May 2022 demanding a six-figure commission for the transfer of French defender Kurt Zouma from Chelsea to West Ham the previous year.