Two years after taking over
Chelsea, co-owners of the club are considering new directions for the future. The consortium, spearheaded by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, acquired the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022. Boehly, a co-owner of the LA Dodgers and part of Guggenheim Partners, partnered with Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss in the deal. Clearlake Capital, founded by Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, holds a majority share of Chelsea, owning 61.5% of the club, while Boehly, Wyss, and Mark Walter each have less than 13%.
Recent reports suggest Eghbali’s faction is exploring the possibility of buying out Boehly’s stake. Although the two owners maintain a professional relationship, their partnership is no longer as close as it once was. Clearlake remains committed to Chelsea, viewing it as a long-term investment, but is open to increasing its ownership if Boehly or other minority shareholders decide to sell. However, no formal discussions have taken place yet regarding this potential change.
Since taking control of Chelsea, the Clearlake-Boehly group has invested over £1.3 billion in new players and has made significant structural changes within the club. These adjustments include the hiring of new managers, directors, and backroom staff, alongside updates to media personnel and ground staff. Despite these efforts, Chelsea’s performance on the pitch has not matched the high standards set during the Abramovich era.
In their first season under the new ownership, Chelsea endured a difficult campaign, finishing 12th in the Premier League and going through two permanent managers and two interim coaches. Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival brought some improvement, but the team still failed to qualify for the Champions League. The club continues to look for a way to reclaim its former glory.
Chelsea’s owners have also expanded their influence beyond Stamford Bridge, acquiring French Ligue 1 side
RC Strasbourg. However, the purchase sparked immediate protests from Strasbourg’s supporters, who were opposed to being part of a multi-club model. Fans have even called for BlueCo, the holding company that controls both Chelsea and Strasbourg, to sell the French club.
At Chelsea, the management of daily operations has been delegated to sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, with Joe Shields heavily involved in transfer dealings. Although Boehly played a more hands-on role during the early months of the ownership transition, he has since stepped back from day-to-day responsibilities.
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