March 25 – Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has a complicated relationship with his partner and the majority owner of the Premier League club, Clearlake Capital, and that looks set to continue unless an agreement is reached regarding the future of Stamford Bridge.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Boehly said: “We have to think long-term about what we’re trying to accomplish. We have a big stadium redevelopment opportunity which 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.”
However, Boehly also said things were “fine” as they stand. “What’s been written and what’s being talked about is much more ‘drama’ than what is actually happening,” he added.
“The status quo is something which is just fine. I think we’ve learned from each other and I think we’re really going to be able to work it out any which way.”
A power battle between Boehly and Clearlake has been ongoing, with both parties making overtures about buying each other out. Clearlake owns 61.54% of Chelsea, with the remaining 38.46% split between Boehly, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss.
The major issue – redesigning Stamford Bridge or moving to a new location, currently rumoured to be a site in Earls Court – is the cause for the diverging opinions.
Any redevelopment of Stamford Bridge comes with a multitude of problems given its close proximity to housing, railway lines and listed buildings.
It has also been calculated that it would cost approximately £20,000 per extra seat if the stadium were to expand its capacity to 55,000.
A new purpose-built stadium appears to be the best option and with Tottenham and most recently Everton moving into new digs, the phase of the mega-stadium is still in vogue.
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