Chelsea fans and players can finally exhale. After months of uncertainty following Roman Abramovich’s sanctioning by the UK government for his ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine – the London Blues are officially under new ownership with the Todd Boehly-led consortium at the helm.Boehly and Clearlake Capital group were chosen as the preferred bidders among fierce competition, with 250 enquiries from potential buyers, and the 48-year-old American businessman will now be able to launch a new era at Stamford Bridge.Roman Abramovich’s goodbye to Chelsea: It was an honor to be a part of this clubChelsea fans will be hoping Boehly’s ownership can bring about as much success as the Abramovich era. Since the Russian bought the club in 2003, they won five Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, two Europa Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Club World Cup.’We are honoured to become the new custodians of Chelsea Football Club. We’re all in, 100%, every minute of every match. Our vision as owners is clear: we want to make the fans proud.’ Boehly said.’Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the Club for the long-term and build on Chelsea’s remarkable history of success.’I personally want to thank ministers and officials in the British government, and the Premier League, for all their work in making this happen.’Consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completes acquisition of Chelsea Football Club.— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 30, 2022 A total of 3 billion euros will ‘be applied to purchase the shares in the Club and such proceeds will be deposited into a frozen UK bank account with the intention to donate 100 per cent to charitable causes as confirmed by Abramovich’.The other 2 billion will be spent on ‘further investment for the benefit of the Club’, such as on Stamford Bridge, the academy, the Chelsea women’s team and the continued funding of the Chelsea foundation.’ Boehly saw off competition from consortiums fronted by Stephen Pagliuca and Sir Martin Broughton and even a late 5 billion euros bid from Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The American businessman will be ably supported by George Osbourne, Hansjorg Wyss, Jonathan Goldstein, Daniel Finkelstein, Barbara Charone and many others. Chelsea CEO Guy Laurence will step down and it is unclear who will assume the role of running day-to-day operations in west London. He decided to leave before the takeover but agreed to stay until it was completed to assure a smooth transition.Another Frenchman, another transfer saga – will Kounde finally put on the blue uniform?The Chelsea Supporters Trust have published a three-page document directed at the new owners. Among several requests, they have asked for ticketing prices to remain the same as this season, for the fan representatives to have a legally binding say on issues around club heritage and a will to follow the recommendations of their fan-led review. Boehly, who is also part-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team, will be considering the proposals as part of a huge in-tray to deal with now he is at the helm, including a potential new stadium, revamping the squad after several key departures and sorting out new contracts for key players.Wed 21:45: (2.40) Scotland (3.10) Ukraine (3.45)Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will reportedly be given a war chest of 235 million euros this summer to buy new players. Chelsea have lost high-profile defenders including Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, meaning the club are under pressure to find capable replacements, with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde at the top of their list. Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele is also out of contract this summer and the sought-after 25-year-old could be the first signing of the Boehly regime, although Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in his signature.
