Tag: Todd Boehly

Boehly hopes fans will be patient with this expensive and terrible Chelsea team

The Chelsea owner’s first season at the helm has been nothing short of a disaster

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has called for patience from fans amid a horrific season that sees the Blues far closer to relegation than the top four.

Boehly’s first season in charge has been a disaster, with Chelsea in 12th place and currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak under caretaker manager Frank Lampard.

There’s even still a faint possibility that Chelsea, the 2020-21 Champions League winners, could get sucked into a relegation battle.

That has all happened despite Chelsea spending more than £600 million in the transfer market, bringing in Enzo Fernández, Benoît Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and João Félix among others.

Speaking at the Milken Institute in Beverly Hills, Boehly tried to strike a note of optimism during a dark time for the club.

“The fans are demanding. They want to win. We get that. We want to win,” Boehly said. “Our view, though, was that this is a long-term project and we are committed to the long-term and we very much believe that we are going to figure it out.

“We have got the best league in the world, what I think is the top city in the world and we have an unbelievable location in the top city in the world.”

Boehly admitted that he was forced to learn on the fly early in the season when he was initially acting as Chelsea’s interim sporting director.

“It is such a global sport and, unlike in the U.S., there are no unions, so there is a market for top players in every country in the world,” said Boehly. “And each one of those markets is different. You have got the Portuguese market, the French market, the English market, so [you have] the ability to go to these markets.

“Then of course, obviously, you have to build a team and your coach is the conductor of the team. I think there is a lot that we have learned about the different markets and the global aspect of it all.”

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Thiago Silva would like to see Chelsea have any kind of strategy

Todd Boehly’s first season as owner will end with tons of money spent, four managers, and zero trophies

Chelsea’s season is pretty much over after the Blues fell 2-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg on Tuesday.

The 4-0 aggregate defeat means Todd Boehly’s first season as owner will end with a lot of money spent, four managers, and zero trophies. Chelsea is currently mired in a miserable Premier League campaign that sees the club in 11th place, with caretaker boss Frank Lampard set to leave at season’s end.

The club has fallen flat in spite of (or maybe because of) an astronomical amount of investment in the transfer market. In January, Chelsea alone spent more on players than each of the other four top leagues in Europe.

Speaking to TNT Sports after Tuesday’s defeat, Chelsea defender Thiago Silva told some harsh truths about the club’s season. The Brazilian admitted that spending for spending’s sake isn’t the way to go, suggesting Boehly’s huge investment may have been detrimental to the club in 2022-23.

“We can’t be blaming the managers if we don’t take responsibility. It’s a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision. Change of ownership, new players arriving – we had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn’t fit the size of the squad,” he said.

“A positive point is that there are amazing players in the squad but on the other hand there are always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from a squad of 30-something – that’s tough. Some can’t make the squad, we signed eight in January, we need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.”

The veteran did make a point to highlight the culpability of the players in the club’s awful campaign.

“Everybody talks too much about replacing managers. I think we, as players, must also take responsibility,” the Brazilian continued. “We have had three managers this season, plus a fourth with Bruno where we failed to win. We have lost today and with Lampard we have failed to win. Everybody is talking about the manager but we must look at what has been done wrong and try to change.”

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Frank Lampard is fine with Todd Boehly’s vicious team talks

Boehly reportedly called Chelsea’s season “embarrassing” in a dressing room talk

Frank Lampard doesn’t have a whole lot of agency this time around as Chelsea head coach.

His caretaker manager stint will be ending after less than two months, regardless of the results he achieves. That was always going to be case after a rough stint in charge of Everton followed his sacking as Chelsea’s permanent manager two years ago.

Lampard wouldn’t be able to protest much if, say, his club’s owner called his team’s season “embarrassing” in the dressing room after yet another loss. He’d probably just be out the door ever faster than already planned.

And so, Lampard was in front of the media on Monday defending Todd Boehly’s widely reported pep talk to Chelsea after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Brighton.

Asked if he had a problem with Chelsea’s owners addressing the team in the locker room, Lampard said: “I am comfortable with that. There was maybe some criticism of our old owner (Roman Abramovich) and not coming to the game, which wasn’t always true, to be fair. But I think when an owner is very invested in their interest in the team and want to help and improve, it is their prerogative to have the input that they want.”

Boehly was joined by fellow board members Behdad Eghbali and Hansjörg Wyss after a defeat that took Chelsea down to 11th in the Premier League table.

Lampard, Chelsea’s third coach of the season, has started his brief stint with three straight losses.

One of those defeats was a 2-0 reverse at Real Madrid in last week’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Facing a daunting second-leg task at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, Lampard hit back at suggestions that Chelsea is “broken” at the current moment.

“We are not where we want to be. That’s clear,” said Lampard. “But I think the word broken is a bit much. The league position is a reality, and we are 2-0 down in this game. We have to work against that.”

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Chelsea turn back time as Frank Lampard appointed caretaker manager

For a limited time only, Lampard is back at Stamford Bridge

They say you can’t go home again, but if you’re Frank Lampard, you can at least stop by for a prolonged visit.

The former England midfielder has been appointed Chelsea’s caretaker manager, returning to the club where he spent around 15 years as a player and coach.

“We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge,” co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said in a statement.

“Frank is a Premier League Hall of Famer and a legend at this club. As we continue our thorough and exhaustive process for a permanent head coach, we want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season. We want to give ourselves every chance of success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line.”

Chelsea found themselves with a managerial opening after dismissing Graham Potter just seven months after hiring him to replace Thomas Tuchel. It doesn’t take a particularly robust memory to recall that Tuchel was himself sacked back in September as Boehly seemed to believe that cleaning house was essential after buying the club last summer.

Lampard will be the fourth person to act as Chelsea’s manager this season, following Bruno Saltor’s one-game role as an interim boss saw the Blues and Liverpool battle to a scoreless draw on Tuesday.

Lampard will hold the role through the end of the season, with Chelsea reportedly considering a list of candidates that includes Julian Nagelsmann (jobless after being shockingly fired by Bayern Munich), Mauricio Pochettino, Sporting CP manager Rúben Amorim, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Oliver Glasner and former Spain boss Luis Enrique.

Chelsea’s roughly one-and-a-half season run under Lampard from July 2019 to January 2021 was a decidedly mixed experience. In 2019-20, Lampard guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, an FA Cup final, and to advancement out of a potentially difficult Champions League group.

However, they were 33 points behind the Liverpool side that won the league, lost that FA Cup final to Arsenal, and crashed out of the League Cup (to Manchester United) and Champions League (after a 7-1 thrashing by Bayern Munich) earlier than the club had hoped.

The following season started off well enough, with just one Premier League loss in their first 11 matches and an emphatic first-place finish in their Champions League group. The wheels would fall off in December, though, with Chelsea taking just seven points from his final eight league matches in charge.

Lampard’s struggles would end up in sharp relief after his successor Thomas Tuchel would lead the Blues to a Champions League trophy and a climb back into the top four.

Opportunity for Pulisic

Chelsea were clearly hit-or-miss under Lampard, even if we’re being generous, but one player who thrived for at least part of his time in charge is Christian Pulisic.

In the 2019-20 season, his first following several seasons with Borussia Dortmund, Pulisic produced 11 goals and 10 assists. That made him Chelsea’s most prolific set-up man, and only Tammy Abraham scored more goals for the club.

That represents Pulisic’s best season as a professional, and his time in London since has largely been a pursuit of that kind of form and consistent place in a given manager’s team. Even under Lampard, it must be said that the 2020-21 campaign saw Pulisic score just two goals in 17 appearances across all competitions.

Still, a new manager is always an opportunity, and Pulisic will be looking to force his way back into more regular minutes. Whether his long-term future is with Chelsea or not, it’s a big moment for the U.S. men’s national team attacker.

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Todd Boehly making a ‘very strong push’ to buy the Commanders

Boehly is a local native and has plenty of experience owning professional sports franchises.

All is quiet regarding news of a potential sale of the Washington Commanders. Last month, the first round of bids for the Commanders were due, but nothing was revealed regarding who put in a bid. However, while names weren’t disclosed, there were some impressive bids for the Commanders.

Scott Abraham of ABC 7 in Washington says one of those names is Bethesda native Todd Boehly. Boehly was on the initial list of prospective bidders back in November when it was initially announced that owner Daniel Snyder was exploring potential transactions with the team.

In addition to being a Maryland native, Boehly has deep ties to the sporting world. Boehly is part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Last year, the 49-year-old led a group that purchased the Chelsea Football Club of the Premier League.

Boehly was a member of the Forbes 400 list in 2022 with a value of $5.3 billion.

Outside of sports endeavors, Boehly co-founded the holding company Eldridge in 2015. Boehly has also invested in multiple companies and sits on the board of several organizations.

Boehly partnered with Clearlake Capital in their purchase of Chelsea. The interesting aspect of that partnership is Clearlake Capital has also been rumored to be interested in the Commanders. Behdad Eghbali and José Feliciano, co-owners of Clearlake Capital, attempted to buy a minority share of the Commanders for $900 from Snyder’s former partners, which he rejected.

Clearlake Capital also attempted to buy the Denver Broncos last summer. It isn’t known if they were among the first round of bids for the Commanders.

The Commanders are expected to be sold for $7 billion or more.

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Sorry losers, a Premier League all-star game would absolutely rule

Let’s not dismiss this idea just because it’s very American

We get it, England. Todd Boehly is all new to this. And he’s American.

But let’s not just dismiss this whole all-star game out of hand just because of those two major strikes against him.

The new Chelsea owner created something of a firestorm when he casually tossed out the idea of a Premier League all-star game, saying the event would be a spectacle for fans and a potential money-maker for teams in the lower divisions.

The reactions were predictable. And hilarious.

The fabric of the game! We must get the government involved immediately to stamp out this damaging scourge of all-star game ideas. Certainly that is the most problematic aspect of ownership in the Premier League right now.

“I’m not sure people want to see that. (Manchester) United players, Liverpool players, Everton players all together in one team?” asked an incredulous Jurgen Klopp. “And all the London guys together, Arsenal, Tottenham…great.”

Arsenal and Spurs players as teammates?? Up is down, black is white, dogs and cats living together. The horror! Rivals at club level playing on a team together. Could you even imagine?

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Ah. Well. Nevertheless.

Boehly suggested a north vs. south format to the all-star game, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the ideal way to go about it. What about England versus the world? Or the Premier League could follow the NBA’s lead and have two captains simply pick teams.

Whatever the case, it would be entertaining. And the skills challenge the night before? Even better!

The main talking points against the idea seem to be: it’s American, it’s a cash grab, and there’s no room in the schedule.

Let’s start with the latter point because it’s legitimate.

Premier League teams already face a crushing load of matches, so how could they squeeze in one more?

We’ve seen games hastily rearranged in the past week after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, so we at least know there is the possibility of fixture adjustments. With some time to plan it out there would hopefully be minimal disruption, especially as it would be just one game.

And here’s the thing about workload concerns: an all-star game shouldn’t be a serious competition! There can be 18 or even 23-man rosters, and if most players get on the field that means none of them will have extended workloads.

This should be an exhibition for the fans. Defending should be optional. Trying crazy stuff should be mandatory. We’re not talking about a match that is likely to produce a bunch of injuries.

Regarding the cash-grab element: it should be a cash grab, just for the right beneficiaries. A whole host of lower-league sides suffered during the pandemic, with several nearly going bankrupt. If all the proceeds for an all-star game went to those clubs, it would certainly be a worthwhile venture.

And as for the whole foreign part, maybe the idea of suggesting an all-star game isn’t quite as American as one would think.

If it’s good enough for Rio and Rom, then let’s make it happen.

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Jurgen Klopp isn’t into Todd Boehly’s Premier League all-star game idea

Harlem Globetrotters vs. Premier League All-Stars, who says no?

Todd Boehly thinks the Premier League needs an all-star game, but he’s not going to have an easy time convincing Jurgen Klopp that it’s a good idea.

Klopp laughed off the proposal, which the new Chelsea owner brought up at the SALT Conference in New York. According to Boehly, the all-star game would make a huge amount of money that could be distributed down the English league pyramid.

For Klopp, there was just one big problem.

“Oh, great,” said Klopp with some well-honed sarcastic enthusiasm. “When he finds a date for that, you can call me.”

Klopp’s concern was pretty straightforward: the English calendar is packed to the gills, an issue that has become more notable after the Premier League postponed a whole slate of fixtures after Queen Elizabeth’s passing. The November World Cup had already created an unusual logjam of games in this Premier League season, and Klopp appeared to have no patience for an idea that would add any more.

“He forgets that in the big sports in America, these players have four-month breaks. They’re quite happy they can’t do a little bit of sport in these breaks. It’s completely different in football,” said Klopp following Liverpool’s 2-1 Champions League win over Ajax.

Boehly’s proposal involved a north vs. south structure, which might work in some places. In a country where city derbies or regional rivalries run hot? Klopp thinks fans wouldn’t be too keen.

“I’m not sure people want to see that. (Manchester) United players, Liverpool players, Everton players all together in one team?,” asked an incredulous Klopp. “And all the London guys together, Arsenal, Tottenham…great. Did he really say it? Interesting.”

Klopp did have one last offering to improve the initial idea.

“What can I say? Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well, and let them play against a football team?,” said Klopp as a dismissal of the topic, but also possibly the best idea anyone’s ever had.

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Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wants to see a Premier League all-star game

This would be … kind of fun?

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is an American and as such, he has a very American idea for a new event in the Premier League: an all-star game.

Speaking on Tuesday in New York at the SALT Conference, Boehly suggested the idea as a spectacle for fans as well as a fundraiser for the lower divisions in England.

Boehly also said the Premier League could take a page from some other European leagues which hold a playoff to determine promotion and relegation.

“Ultimately I hope that the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports and really starts to figure out why wouldn’t we do a tournament with the bottom four teams, why isn’t there an all-star game?” Boehly asked.

Boehly, who is also a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, added: “People are talking about more money for the pyramid — MLB [Major League Baseball] did their All-Star Game in L.A. this year, we made $200 million from a Monday and a Tuesday. You could do a north versus south all-star game for the Premier League to fund whatever the pyramid needed very easily.”

All-star games, of course, are mostly the province of American sports leagues. The MLS All-Star Game has featured all-star teams from MLS and Liga MX facing off in the last two seasons.

When asked if Europeans would go for an American-style all-star game, Boehly acknowledged “there’s a cultural aspect that’s real” that could stand in the way, but added his belief that “there’s going to be an evolution.”

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With Tuchel gone, Boehly’s Chelsea housecleaning is complete

The last vestige of the Roman Abramovich era was sent packing on Wednesday

Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday, just a month into the season.

Though the Blues are off to a tough start this season, the decision had little to do with results. In the club’s statement announcing the move, Chelsea losing three of its first seven matches this season wasn’t even mentioned.

“As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition,” a statement said.

Tuchel has had notoriously tense relationships with management at previous clubs, and that appears to be no different here.

Part of that tension stemmed from new owner Todd Boehly and his co-owner Behdad Eghbali hollowing out Chelsea’s management structure immediately upon arrival.

Chairman Bruce Buck: gone. Director Marina Granovskaia: gone. Technical and performance advisor Petr Čech: also gone.

With the club’s previous transfer leaders all having left, Tuchel was asked to take a more hands-on approach in the market. The German openly admitted he would prefer to simply coach the team.

“It’s not my favorite thing to do and in the long run the focus has to be on coaching because it is why I am here,” he said this summer. “But at the moment of course my help is needed and wanted and it is of course necessary that I step up and take the responsibility.”

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Boehly, a novice in the soccer transfer market, was serving as de-facto sporting director, an arrangement that also clearly didn’t sit well with Tuchel.

According to the Telegraph, the most striking example of this came when Boehly pushed Tuchel to sign Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

The report says that Boehly was “reluctant to simply take no for an answer from Tuchel, who, according to sources, seemed exasperated at having to explain his reasons for not wanting the Portuguese.”

Though the tension between Boehly and Tuchel grew quickly, the American’s initial plan was to keep faith in his Champions League-winning manager.

Tuchel was backed in the market to the tune of over £250 million, including his former player at Borussia Dortmund Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

One week after Aubameyang arrived, though, Tuchel is gone.

In some ways, it’s not surprising that the last vestige of the Roman Abramovich era was sent packing by the club’s new ownership. But the club’s quick reversal on Tuchel will cause some whiplash among fans and players — particularly those personally recruited by the coach this summer.

Now the onus will be on Boehly to get his leadership hires right. The club won a whole lot of trophies under Abramovich and Chelsea’s fans are unlikely to give Boehly much leeway if that run of silverware starts to dry up.

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Chelsea spending spree continues with £75m deal for Wesley Fofana

Chelsea’s back atop the list of Premier League spenders

Chelsea, who broke their club record transfer fee for a defender earlier this summer, has broken that record again.

The Blues have signed defender Wesley Fofana from Leicester City in a deal worth a reported £75 million. That expenditure comes just weeks after Chelsea had signed Marc Cucurella in a deal that could be worth £63 million if the various add-ons all come into play.

“I trained this morning with the team and it’s a dream for me. I’m very excited to start playing games for the fans and the club,” Fofana told the Chelsea team site. “I’m here to win trophies: the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything. I came here to win and the club is built to win trophies so I’m here to continue that.”

At just 21, Fofana already has 37 Premier League starts, and would have a higher number if not for missing most of last season after a gruesome preseason injury just over a year ago left him with a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle.

He’ll be expected to become first-choice for Thomas Tuchel alongside Kalidou Koulibaly—another pricey summer acquisition for Chelsea—and the ageless Thiago Silva, which would allow Reece James to move back out to the right flank. With Tuchel toggling between a back three and back four (he used the latter in a 2-1 loss to Southampton on Tuesday), Fofana will have plenty of competition for playing time.

The move takes Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League spending charts this summer. Data from Transfermarkt says that the new ownership group led by Todd Boehly has spent $296 million since taking over, bringing in 18 players in the process. That puts them around $33 million clear of Manchester United, who have been spending wildly without necessarily seeming to know why.

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