Todd Boehly has hinted that the ownership group could potentially split if they cannot reach an agreement on the future plans for Stamford Bridge. In May 2022, Boehly, alongside Clearlake Capital (led by Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano), successfully acquired Chelsea FC from Roman Abramovich.
The purchase, valued at £4.25bn, made Chelsea the most expensive football club in history. According to the club's official statement, the deal involved Boehly and Clearlake investing £2.5bn in shares, with an additional £1.75bn earmarked for upgrades to Stamford Bridge, Kingsmeadow, and investments in the men's and women's teams, the academy, and charitable initiatives.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Boehly suggested that he and the club's majority shareholder, Clearlake Capital, could split if they can't agree on the future of Stamford Bridge. Clearlake Capital have a 61.5 per cent stake in Chelsea, with the remaining 38.5 per cent is split equally between Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter.
The former said: "We have to think long term about what we’re trying to accomplish. We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out. That’s going to be where we’re either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways. The status quo is something that’s just fine.
"We’ve learned from each other and we’re going to be able to work it out any which way. If you look at the evolution of the team, we’ve been aligned on what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to build. It’s a team that’s young, it’s a team that’s got long contracts.
"All these things were new. In order to do all these things we’ve done, it’s because we’re aligned. We’re executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where it belongs. We’re sitting in the top four of the table."
The Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC (CPO) is a company that holds the freehold of Stamford Bridge stadium and the name Chelsea FC. Over 23,000 individual shares have been sold to fans, former players and staff since it was set up by Ken Bates in the 1990s.
the future of the Blues rests in the hands on the CPO. In January 2025, the CPO chairman addressed the future of Stamford Bridge in an official AGM statement: "To re-state the obvious, only CPO shareholders can have a vote on any proposal regarding the future of Stamford Bridge.
"No share, no vote. Tell your family, friends and colleagues what we are about. Encourage them to buy shares and, if you are able, please buy more shares yourself."
Speaking at the Bloomberg Qatar Economic Forum in May 2024, Boehly revealed the club are working on plans to improve the matchday experience for Chelsea fans. He said: "Well, we're working on this. What's the stadium plan going to do?
"I think we've got a really unique spot in London. So many people can walk to come to a Chelsea game. We're basically in the heart of West London. But, you know, we only have a stadium that seats about 40,000 and to be able to upgrade the quality of the stadium and the size of the stadium is really a priority for us over the course of the next decade.
"It's already started. You have to have a lot of conversations with a lot of constituencies because you're in the middle of London. The good news is you're in the middle of London. But the bad news is you're in the middle of London."
1 Comment (last comment by Adem)
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By Adem 24 Mar 2025 18:19
We should stay at the Bridge, but I don't think we can build a stadium bigger than 60K of capacity.
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