Boehly’s consortium agreed a deal to buy Chelsea from Roman
Abramovich for £4.25 billion ($5.3 billion) on May 7 and the sale has now been
officially rubber-stamped.
“We are honoured to become the new custodians of Chelsea
Football Club. We’re all in, 100 percent, every minute of every match,” Boehly
told Chelsea’s website.
Boehly’s takeover ends Abramovich’s 19-year reign as Chelsea
owner after the Russian put the club up for sale in March.
Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government for his
alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of
Ukraine.
Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Boehly has set his sights on
emulating Chelsea’s success during the Abramovich era, which included five
Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns among 19 major trophies.
“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.”
Chelsea had been operating under a special government
licence which would have expired on May 31 if Boehly had been unable to seal
the purchase.
That would have put Chelsea’s future in doubt, but they are
now able to look forward to next season as the Boehly regime takes the keys to
Stamford Bridge.
Boehly’s group needed approval from the Premier League, the
British government and Portuguese authorities — Abramovich has Portuguese
citizenship — before the sale could be completed.
“I personally want to thank ministers and officials in the
British Government, and the Premier League, for all their work in making this
happen,” Boehly said.
Boehly fought off 11 rival bidders to buy Chelsea in what is
a record sale for a sports club.
He will “share joint control and equal governance of the
club” with his main partner Clearlake Capital investment firm.
Boehly is Chelsea’s controlling owner, but will work closely
with Clearlake co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano.
‘Even more success’
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and US tycoon Mark Walter
are the other main members of the consortium.
“We are excited to commit the resources to continue
Chelsea’s leading role in English and global football, and as an engine for
football talent development,” Eghbali and Feliciano said in a joint statement.
“We also want to thank the authorities for all their work
throughout the process.
“As pioneers in sports and media investing, we are thrilled
to partner with Todd and the rest of the consortium to meaningfully grow the
club as a global platform.
“Together, we will expand the club’s investment across
infrastructure, technology, and sports science to support the incredible
Chelsea football and commercial teams – all with the goal of leveraging this
growth to fuel even more on-pitch success.”
Boehly’s arrival in west London will turn the page on
Chelsea’s remarkable transformation from underachievers to serial winners under
Abramovich.
Crucially, the takeover completion should give Blues boss
Thomas Tuchel the financial support to mount a challenge to Premier League
champions Manchester City.
Chelsea finished third in the Premier League this term,
ensuring they qualified for next season’s Champions League.
Tuchel’s side also reached the FA Cup and League Cup finals
— losing both matches to Liverpool on penalties — and won the Club World Cup
and UEFA Super Cup.
Chelsea were unable to sign players or offer contracts to
existing stars because of the sanctions on Abramovich.
They are set to lose Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid on a
free transfer, while Andreas Christensen is set to join Barcelona when his
contract expires in the close-season.
After Abramovich halted plans to redevelop Chelsea’s stadium
several years ago, the new owners “are committed to investing in key areas that
will extend and enhance Chelsea’s competitiveness, including the redevelopment
of Stamford Bridge”.