CHELSEA OWNERS WANT TO SELL IN LATEST TURBULENT TWIST AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

 

Cole Palmer is embraced by Chelsea chairman Too Boehly with Donald Trump watching on. Photo: Getty Images

The Telegraph in the UK is reporting that Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are looking at selling their stakes in the Premier League club.

Their proposed sale to majority owner Clearlake Capital would value the London club at $9.5 billion and give the private equity company complete control at the club.

Currently, the pair, along with Hansjorg Wyss, own 12.8% each of the club.

Boehly is the chairman, but Clearlake, with Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano in charge, call the shots at Stamford Bridge.

Boehly is arguably the most visible of Chelsea owners, and was the face of the bid that bought the club off Roman Abramovich four years ago in a $5 million deal, but his chairmanship is due to end at the end of the season.

According to the BBC, a rift within the ownership group, first rumoured in 2024, has led to the parties working out how to buy each other out. The future of Stamford Bridge and agreement on whether to move, or what that would look like, has been suggested as one of the sources of tension.

Should they successfully sell their stakes, the pair would each stand to pocket some $1.2 billion each.

It would be a dizzying period for Walter, co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Guggenheim Partners, who sold the Los Angeles Lakers last week for a record $17.6 billion.

Xabi Alonso has been appointed to lead Chelsea on the park this term as they look to rebuild after a 10th placed finish last term, the latest twist in a turbulent four years under the American ownership. While Chelsea won the Club World Cup in 2025, they have chopped and changed managers without mounting a serious Premier League title chase.

The Athletic reports there is an ongoing United States Department of Justice investigation into Walters’ business dealings, while this Chelsea sale is not something that will be triggered imminently.

Meanwhile, off field discussions haven’t stopped Chelsea being active in the transfer market but the latest report suggests speedster Pedro Neto could be off to Al Hilal.

Sky Sports reports that Chelsea have put a $191 million price tag on the Portuguese winger if the Saudi Arabia club are serious in securing him.

- Football360.com.au

CHELSEA GIVEN BAN AND RECORD- BREAKING FINE FOR BREACHING PREMIER LEAGUE RULES

Chelsea have been handed an immediate transfer ban and record £10.75m fine by the Premier League after breaching their rules.

The rule breaks are in relation to three different areas - Financial Reporting, Third Party Investment and Youth Development.

The Premier League have concluded two separate disciplinary processes after Chelsea owners BlueCo, a consortium led by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, voluntarily self-reported potential historical breaches of rules in 2022 under previous owner, Roman Abramovich.

Chelsea Transfer Bans Explained

Chelsea have been found guilty of making undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club, including unregistered agents, players and other third parties.

After assessing a series of recalculations of the club’s historical financial submissions, the Premier League have given Chelsea a £10m fine - the biggest in Premier League history - and a suspended one-year first team transfer ban, which is suspended for two years.

The Premier League Board decided that the club’s proactive self-reporting, admissions of breach and exceptional cooperation throughout the investigation were key to them handing out an appropriate sanction.

The Premier League also investigated potential breaches of the Premier League's youth development rules, with a separate transfer sanction being agreed with Chelsea. They have received an immediate nine-month ban from registering academy players purchased from Premier League and EFL clubs, as well as a £750,000 fine.

Premier League Release Statement

The Premier League released a statement on Monday afternoon:

'The Premier League has concluded two separate disciplinary processes involving Chelsea Football Club, following the Club voluntarily self-report to bying potential historical breaches of rules.

'Two sanction agreements have been ratified by an independent Commission under which Chelsea FC has accepted fines totalling £10.75 million for breaches of the Premier League’s rules relating to Financial Reporting, Third Party Investment and Youth Development.

'The Club has been sanctioned by the Premier League with an immediate nine-month Academy Transfer ban and a suspended one-year first-team player transfer ban (suspended for two years).

'The Premier League has completed a disciplinary process with Chelsea FC in respect of historical breaches relating to Financial Reporting and Third Party Investment. In 2022, Chelsea FC’s current owners voluntarily reported to the League that they had evidence of potential breaches of Premier League Rules.

'As a result of the Premier League’s investigation, it was established that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties. These payments were not disclosed to the football regulatory authorities at the time, including the Premier League. The payments were made for the benefit of Chelsea FC and should have been treated as having been made by the club. The club has also accepted, among other things, that the making of these payments, as well as the failure to disclose them to the League, constituted a breach of the requirement to act in good faith towards the League.

The Premier League assessed a series of recalculations of the club’s historical financial submissions which took into account the payments made for the benefit of Chelsea FC. Importantly, having undertaken that assessment, the Premier League Board was satisfied that in no scenario would the club have breached the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules during the relevant periods, had the relevant payments been properly included in the club’s historical financial submissions.

'When considering the appropriate sanction, the Premier League Board noted that the club’s proactive self-reporting, admissions of breach and exceptional cooperation throughout the investigation acted as significant mitigating factors.

'The Premier League and Chelsea FC have now entered into a sanction agreement under which the club accepts a £10 million fine and a suspended one-year first team transfer ban (suspended for two years).

'In addition, the League also investigated potential breaches of the Premier League’s Youth Development Rules, committed by a former senior employee, relating to the club’s registration of Academy players between 2019 and 2022. This followed a further voluntary report by the club in 2025.

'As a result of this additional investigation, a separate sanction agreement has been entered into with Chelsea FC, under which the club has accepted an immediate nine-month ban from registering Academy players from Premier League and EFL clubs. The club will also pay a £750,000 fine.

'All sanctions will take effect immediately with the club also paying the full costs of the League’s investigation and disciplinary processes.

'In accordance with Premier League Rules, the sanction agreements with the club have been reviewed and approved by three members of the League’s independent Judicial Panel.

'A separate FA disciplinary process involving the club’s alleged breaches of FA Regulations arising out of similar conduct remains ongoing. In 2022, Chelsea FC also reported to UEFA the historic breaches which resulted in the CFCB First Chamber entering into a settlement agreement with the club. Chelsea FC paid a financial contribution of €10 million (£8.6 million).'

- James Beavis

DONALD TRUMP APPEARS TO BE SNUBBED BY ONE CHELSEA STAR, WHO MISSED HANDSHAKE WITH THE US PRESIDENT AT CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY PRESENTATION

The Blues youngster decided against waiting for the US President and instead accepted the congratulations of Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly

Chelsea youngster Tyrique George skipped a handshake from United States President Donald Trump after the Blues' Club World Cup win. 

Trump was put to work by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino after watching Chelsea claim a shock 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, handing out medals to the victorious squad before taking centre stage for the trophy lift.

For the most part, his presence during this portion of the ceremony went unnoticed. That was until George, who has enjoyed a breakout year for the Blues, dodged a handshake from Trump. 

Seeing Trump occupied by the task of retrieving another medal, the 19-year-old decided against waiting and instead opted to receive the congratulations of Blues co-owner Todd Boehly. 

The snub, intentional or otherwise, was noted by Trump, who looked in the youngster's direction before returning to his temporary duties. 

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Trump later inserted himself into the heart of Chelsea's celebrations, deciding to remain among the Blues stars as skipper Reece James lifted the Club World Cup trophy. 

It was anticipated that the Commander-in-Chief would step aside after giving the trophy to James - as is customary. However, to the bewilderment of many Chelsea players, Trump remained on stage for the entire trophy lift.

Trump took centre stage for Chelsea's trophy lift, remaining next to Blues skipper Reece James for the historic moment

England hero Cole Palmer looked especially confused by Trump's actions and appeared to utter the words: 'What's he doing?'

Trump had earlier presented Palmer with the golden ball award with the 23-year-old midfielder looking as equally baffled during that presentation.

He and First Lady Melania arrived roughly 35 minutes before kickoff at the nearby Teterboro Airport on the presidential Marine One helicopter from his local golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA boss Infantino.

The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA boss Infantino

The outing fell on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt Trump survived in Butler, Pennsylvania, and significant security measures were put in place for his arrival.

As detailed in The Athletic , secret service officials worked with organizers to put together a travel route to the venue, and it was believed he would be behind a pane of bulletproof glass at the game.

The president was put on screen at MetLife during the singing of the national anthem prior to the game, and reports emerged from the stadium that he was booed before the stadium camera cut away from him.

MetLife Stadium later echoed with more boos when Trump, joined by Infantino, made his way out onto the field to present the champions with the trophy.

Trump's involvement in the trophy presentation after the game further complicated the required security around the American Commander-in-Chief.

'When you do the threat and risk assessment, you cover anything that could go wrong: if they were at a mass gathering, what if the stage collapsed?' Nigel Thomas, a former British Special Air Service (SAS) soldier and founder of security training firm, Blue Mountain Group, told The Athletic.

'We will have a standard operating procedure for that, for example. You need to be prepared for it, and that takes communication with stadium security and emergency services.'

- TUM BALOGUN

CHELSEA'S MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER CLEARLAKE CAPITAL NOT SELLING - SOURCES

Clearlake Capital board member Behdad Eghbali(Image: Glyn Kirk/IKImages/AFP/Getty Images)

Chelsea's majority shareholder Clearlake Capital are not interested in selling their stake amid suggestions of a power battle at the club, sources told ESPN.

A report by Bloomberg on Friday claimed that the Blues' most prominent shareholders are exploring options to buy each other out but sources close to the ownership have told ESPN that Clearlake are solely focused on providing long-term stability at Stamford Bridge.

Clearlake own 61.54% of Chelsea with the remaining 38.46% split between businessmen Todd Boehly, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss.

Sources told ESPN that while relations between Boehly and Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali have cooled in recent times, their relationship remains professional.

Sources suggested that no direct talks between any individual investor and Clearlake have taken place at time of writing but Clearlake are open to increasing their stake should the situation arise.

Boehly, Eghbali and Clearlake co-founder Jose E Feliciano have sign-off on all major decisions affecting the club.

The consortium completed their takeover in May 2022 after Chelsea were put up for sale following previous owner Roman Abramovich's sanctioning by the United Kingdom government for alleged ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin.

Boehly assumed a prominent role in the first summer following the change of ownership, operating as acting sporting director before the club appointed an executive team to lead Chelsea forward.

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

MAURICIO POCHETTINO OUT AFTER 1 SEASON INCHARGE

Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea despite winning his last five league games. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

 Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent after just one season in charge, the club confirmed in a statement Tuesday.

Sources told ESPN that Pochettino, 52, departed following talks in the past 48 hours with co-owner Behdad Eghbali and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Pochettino, who also publicly confirmed he had dinner with co-owner Todd Boehly on Friday, guided Chelsea to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup semifinals during his solitary campaign.

Sources insisted that although Pochettino had a year remaining on his contract, the decision was amicable on both sides.

Stewart and Winstanley said in a club statement: "On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season. He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career."

Pochettino said: "Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history. The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come."

Pochettino's coaching staff -- Jesus Perez, Miguel d'Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino -- have all also left the club.

Sources told ESPN that there has been a split for some time within the Chelsea hierarchy over whether to persist with Pochettino after a disappointing campaign in which they were languishing in midtable despite spending £1 billion ($1.27 billion) on new players since the Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover of May 2022.

Sources told ESPN that Boehly was keen on retaining Pochettino but Eghbali wanted to replace him with a new coach.

Pochettino's frustration at the ongoing uncertainty over his future had spilled into his recent news conferences, insisting it "would not be the end of the world" if he left Chelsea.

Sources told ESPN that the players held a gathering with families at the stadium in the hours after Sunday's final-day win over Bournemouth and nobody there was told that Pochettino would be leaving.

Tuesday's decision comes after the club held an end of season review. The Blues ended their campaign with five consecutive wins and just one league defeat from 15 matches but frustrations on both sides had already been well established.

Sources said Chelsea expected quicker progress under Pochettino given the significant investment on players while the Argentine had concerns about the day-to-day running of the club and the lack of clarity over forward planning.

It is unclear at this stage whom Chelsea will target as Pochettino's replacement. Sources told ESPN that the club will likely seek a younger profile of coach, with Kieran McKenna, who has guided Ipswich Town back to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years after back-to-back promotions, one name widely linked.

Roberto De Zerbi is a free agent after leaving Brighton, while Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has previously attracted interest from several Premier League clubs including West Ham. Sources told ESPN that Amorim, 39, is admired at Stamford Bridge.

Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas insisted this week that Amorim would remain with the Portuguese club next season.

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

CHELSEA'S POCHETTINO CALLS FOR 'STUPID' EXIT RUMOURS TO STOP

Mauricio Pochettino expects to be in the Chelsea dugout next season despite the club's disappointing season. Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

 Mauricio Pochettino has called for "stupid rumours" around his Chelsea future to stop and insisted he will see out the final year of his contract unless told otherwise by the club.

The 52-year-old has endured a tumultuous first season at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea scrambling to qualify for Europe next season, despite owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital spending more than £1 billion ($1.25bn) on new players since their 2022 takeover.

Pochettino has faced chants to be sacked from disgruntled supporters -- who have also chanted the name of former coach José Mourinho -- but Thursday's 2-0 win over Tottenham leaves Chelsea just two points off seventh place, which would be enough to secure a Europa Conference League spot next term.

Speculation persists that Pochettino's job could be at risk and he told Sky Sports after beating Spurs that "it was difficult to see every single week that I am under scrutiny."

Pushed further on this issue, Pochettino said: "We were talking about the judgement at the end of the season, if I feel I am under scrutiny.

"That was the question from the people. But it is like [we have] to prove, after all these circumstances and all of this situation, that we deserve to be here next season. I say, "Who is going to judge me?

"I need to judge myself and all the players, and of course with all the circumstances [of the season].

"But I wanted to say that it is enough with these type of rumours. If I have one more year on my contract here, and no one says nothing, [I] suppose that I am going to be here. [That changes] only if we then finish the season and someone says to me, 'ciao.'

"Because we don't know at the moment. I suppose I have one more year on my contract and that I am going to be here. But enough about the stupid rumours. You need to ask the club if they want me to keep going or not -- not to write things that have no sense."

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

CHELSEA PARENT COMPANY BLUECO ANNOUNCES 653 MILLION POUNDS NET LOSS

Reuters 

 Chelsea's parent company BlueCo 22 announced net losses of 653 million pounds ($832.71 million) after tax for the March 2022 to June 2023 period, while the Premier League club suffered 90.1 million pounds in losses before tax, company filings showed.

The consortium BlueCo, led by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, purchased west London outfit Chelsea in 2022 while in 2023 they also reached an agreement to become shareholders of French club Racing Strasbourg.

The loss for Chelsea in the 12-month period was lower than the 121.4 million pounds for the previous year.

The club also had increased matchday and commercial revenue after they operated without the government restrictions placed on them after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when former Chelsea owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was sanctioned.

"Chelsea grew overall revenue to 512.5 million pounds, made profits on disposal of player registrations and fixed assets of 142.2 million pounds and increases in other income," the annual report said.

"This helped offset the increased operational costs seen in the year. This year saw an overall increase in turnover from 481.3 million pounds to 512.5 million pounds.

"Matchday revenue increased from 69.2 million pounds to 76.5 million pounds compared to the prior year," it added, with the average attendance at Stamford Bridge increasing to 40,002.

However, the men's team finished a disappointing 12th in the Premier League, resulting in a lower domestic broadcasting share. Broadcasting revenue fell 9.1 million pounds to 225.9 million pounds compared to the previous year.

Revenue also increased thanks to the women's team which won the Women's Super League and Women's FA Cup while they also reached the final of the Women's League Cup.

Commercial revenue rose 33 million pounds to 210.1 million pounds, with the club benefiting from a net increase in sponsorship income from new and existing partner renewals.

"Despite the loss in the year and the continued fallout from the sanctions placed on the club in the prior year, the club continues to comply with UEFA and Premier League financial regulations," Chelsea added.

($1 = 0.7842 pounds)

- Reuters 

TODD BOEHLY ON CHELSEA'S ACADEMY VIA SALT NYC