- Boehly revealed that Chelsea owners are divided over Stamford Bridge’s future
- The American seemingly advocated for the Blues to build a multi-purpose arena
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is England’s squad good enough to win the World Cup?
Todd Boehly appears to have revealed Chelsea’s owners are divided on the future of Stamford Bridge as he suggested they need to get aligned or go their separate ways once and for all.
It was a surprising interview conducted by the billionaire in Hong Kong in which he seemingly advocated for a new multi-purpose arena, like that built by their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Boehly did not confirm whether he is leaning towards redeveloping Stamford Bridge or moving to a new stadium site, though he did highlight the complexities of building inside London. He added they need to consider the Chelsea fans in their deliberations.
Much has been written on Boehly’s relationship with his fellow co-owners Clearlake Capital, led by Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano, including talk of one party potentially buying out the other.
When quizzed on their differences by Bloomberg, Boehly 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.
‘I think that’s going to be where we’re either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways. What’s been written and talked about is much more “drama” than what is actually happening.’
Todd Boehly opened up on the possibility of Chelsea moving away from Stamford Bridge
Boehly did not confirm whether wants to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new site
He advocated for a new multi-purpose arena, like that built by their rivals Tottenham Hotspur
Pressed on his plans for Stamford Bridge, Boehly continued: ‘Stadium development is definitely a theme. You’re going to see the NBA go to Europe, they need stadiums, they need arenas.
‘You know, sporting infrastructure. We’re just on the very front end of the sporting wave and sporting infrastructure is going to be a big thing about it.
‘We have 16, 20 years to figure out, you know, obviously, inside of London, it’s really complex. It’s not as if we’re building something in the middle of a rural environment.
‘We have a lot of constituencies to make sure that we care about. Certainly the Chelsea fanbase is one. Long-term, we’re going to be building something new and we’ll figure it out.’
While the stadium appears to be a contentious subject between the owners, Boehly insisted they are aligned on everything else. That includes their plan to pursue the world’s best prospects such as Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez and Geovany Quenda – three 17-year-old wonderkids they have signed from various corners of the globe.
‘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,’ he said. ‘It’s a team that’s young. It’s a team that’s got long contracts.
‘All these things were new. Of course in order to do all these things we’ve done, it’s obviously 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 right now. 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.’
Boehly added he believes Chelsea is worth more now than the £2.5billion they paid for the club in May 2022. ‘I would say yes,’ he said.
