Chelsea’s sale to a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly is officially complete.
The group takes over from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who led Chelsea to a prolonged period of success after buying the club in 2003.
Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale in March under heavy pressure after he was sanctioned by the UK government in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to Boehly, the consortium also includes his fellow Dodgers and Lakers co-owner Mark Walter, Swiss billionaire Hansjoerg Wyss and Clearlake Capital, a California private equity firm.
“Roman Abramovich has completed the sale of Chelsea Football Club and related companies to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.,” Chelsea said in a statement on Monday.
On Saturday Abramovich released a farewell statement on Chelsea’s website, saying: “I am pleased this search has now come to a successful conclusion. As I hand over Chelsea to its new custodians, I would like to wish them the best of success, both on and off the pitch.
“It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this club – I would like to thank all the Club’s past and current players, staff, and of course fans for these incredible years.”
Chelsea’s statement said that over 250 enquiries into the club had resulted in 12 credible bids, with the Boehly bid coming through several rounds of scrutiny. “We believe the Board and the Boehly/Clearlake group have a shared vision for the future of Chelsea Football Club,” read the club statement.
In a statement posted on Chelsea’s team site, Boehly said “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.”
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