A damning comparison to one of Russia’s grittiest cities sold the deal for Roman Abramovich and turned London’s Chelsea Football Club into an international powerhouse.

Before making the purchase, Abramovich entertained investing in Chelsea’s London-rival Tottenham Hotspur, a new book on the origin story of the English Premier League says. The deal-breaker was reportedly a ride down the streets of the Tottenham district of London.

“While his Mercedes trundled along Tottenham High Road, he looked out and said in Russian, ‘This is worse than Omsk,’” reads an excerpt published by The Sun tabloid on Sunday.