Todd Boehly has brushed off fan protests against him and his fellow Chelsea owners, insisting that the opprobrium sent his way in recent weeks is par for the course.
Supporters made their dissatisfaction with Clearlake Capital, Boehly, and Behdad Eghbali clear for all to see on Tuesday night as an estimated 200 of them gathered outside Stamford Bridge before their side’s 4-0 win against Southampton. Boehly was pictured on a banner clutching a wad of notes amid complaints over his links with ticket reseller Vivid Seats, while another banner accused ownership vehicle BlueCo of ‘crimes against Chelsea’.
There were also chants for Roman Abramovich, who sold Chelsea to the consortium in the summer of 2022 after being sanctioned by the British government in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His nearly two-decade ownership brought remarkable success to west London, most notably in the form of two Champions League titles, and major honors have eluded the club since the change of ownership.
When asked how it felt to hear fans chant for Abramovich, whose tenure has come under scrutiny since his departure, Boehly told the Financial Times Football Business Summit: “I think it’s par for the course. The reality is the sooner you learn you’re not going to keep everyone happy all the time, freedom shows up from that.”
Observations
“You’re just trying to get on a plan, execute a plan, recognizing things aren’t linear, but as long as you’re trending in the right direction in general, you feel better. The trend is in the right direction, and that’s what really matters.”
Boehly and his fellow owners have earned a reputation for disrupting market norms in their brief ownership of Chelsea, notably exploiting a loophole in Premier League rules that allowed them to amortize the contracts of high-profile acquisitions such as Enzo Fernandez beyond the five-year norm. The 51-year-old acknowledged a financial upside but spoke of lengthy deals in terms of building a squad and leaders for the long term.
He asserted, “You’re always focused on how do you keep something together for a very long time… When you think about the contracts here, you have to recognize that a seven-year contract is really a five-year contract. Ninety-five percent of the time you are going to have to make the decision or you shoot yourself in the foot.”
Boehly has ambitious plans for Chelsea’s future but also recognizes the challenges ahead, stating that they are always looking to improve and build a sustainable winning team.
