Night fit for a prince

Back home, Abramovich's new money - £7.5 billion - has already made the Duke of Westminster's old inherited spoils seem piffling as he's climbed atop Britain's rich list. Now even here in one of Europe's richest havens, the unprecedented spending power of a man who could buy, never mind break, the bank at Monte Carlo is inevitably contrasted with Albert's on-going battle behind the scenes to prop up a club with spiralling debts of over £33million. As we know, Abramovich could clear such a shortfall with his small change.

What we don't know about Abramovich yet, though, is how much he truly cares about Chelsea. Could it be a plaything he quickly gets tired of ? Yet it's become obvious that AS Monaco is no plaything for Albert. It's in his blood, the club he played for as a youth, sparking his lifelong pleasure in playing football as he still does every week with friends.

It had also always been in the heart of his father, the now infirm Prince Rainier, who effectively bankrolled the club to title after title in France.

"Monaco is in some ways a family club," Albert said last week. Not just belonging to his family, but to the nation. He noted that Monegasques would never understand it if the struggling club was ever put in the hands of people outside the Principality.

Down the years, though, the problems for this particular family business have stemmed from the Grimaldis being restricted in how deeply they are permitted to be involved at the club because too much money pumped in from the palace would be considered as public financing.

So when the club faced its biggest crisis last summer - ironically, just before Abramovich stepped in with his millions to make sure no similar calamity enveloped Chelsea - Albert had to come to the rescue not with a chequebook but with a touch of the old charisma.

The debts had got out of control and, after investigations, the French league decided to relegate Monaco for 'financial irregularities'. Within a couple of hectic days, league officials relented thanks to Albert's positive initiative to woo three key new investors, including a former Ferrari team manager, who would be prepared to underwrite the club.

Since then, he has effectively restructured the club's administration, bringing in a new president, Pierre Svara, and he now talks enthusiastically about attracting more investors with the sort of financial clout to ensure that they can keep hold of coach Didier Deschamps and key players, Ludovic Giuly and Fernando Morientes.

In terms of man-management, the contrast between Albert and Abramovich could not be more striking. Abramovich gets his right-hand man to do the dirty work, briefing against Claudio Ranieri and thus undermining his position, while Albert chooses a much more edifying route in his bid to keep Deschamps. Albert uses the media to openly praise the Frenchman at every opportunity, perhaps feeling that even an old water-carrier's ego could be massaged to the point that he would end up turning down overtures from Juventus.

It won't work of course because Deschamps is too much his own man. In yesterday's news conference here, he answered questions fluently in Italian, French and English and in each language brilliantly managed not to reveal anything of the remotest interest to those enquiring about his future.

Just as in his playing days, though, his lack of colour cannot conceal his winner's streak.

Prince Albert is apparently still confident that he'd be able to persuade Deschamps to continue for another season should Monaco won the Champions League.

Mind you, before doing his negotiator's bit, they would have to scrape Bert Grimaldi off the stadium roof first.

Prince Albert

Born: 14 March 1958, Monaco. Birth celebrated by all six of Monaco's prisoners being pardoned
Father: Prince Rainier.
Mother: Grace Kelly
Nationality: Monegasque
Marital status: Single
Wealth: Heir to the family fortune. They own 25 per cent of the land in Monaco and a controlling interest in the club that runs the casino
Origins: The Grimaldis have ruled Monaco since 1297
Footballing interest: Long-term patron of Monaco and part owner; with other Monaco allied residents, holds controlling interest. Holder of membership card number two of the Monaco supporters' club (Rainier is number one). Seeking outside investment to cope with club debts of up to ¤50million (£33m)

Roman emperor

Born: 24 October 1966, Saratova, Russia
Father: Killed in building accident when his son was four.
Mother: Died of blood poisoning when Abramovich was 18 months old
Nationality: Russian
Marital status: married to Irina, five children
Wealth: £7.5billion
Origins: Started trading in oil in his early 20s. Raised money to buy Sibneft, a Siberian oil company, from the Russian state in 1995; Sibneft is now worth at least £8bn, of which Abramovich's stake is valued at £5.3bn. Numerous other business interests. Governor of remote Siberian region Chukotka
Footballing interest: Bought Chelsea in July 2003, rescuing the club from debts built up under former chairman Ken Bates