Chelsea's management and the dilemma of the new stadium
The owners of club is being asked to decide whether to rebuild their stadium at Stamford Bridge or build a new one at Earls Court
Chelsea may not have started very well so far in the field of competition, but in the business part its president, Todd Boehly and his partners are doing great. The management of the English club has raised around 500 million euros in new investment from Ares Management. The American owners of the Premier League club are looking for ways to fund expensive stadium improvements while building stakes in more soccer clubs.
Ares, a U.S. alternative asset manager, provided that capital injection, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, one of whom described it as a preferred stock deal. Chelsea, which is controlled by a consortium including private equity group Clearlake Capital and American financier Todd Boehly, is looking for ways to boost revenue after another high-spending transfer window.
Ares, Clearlake and Boehly declined to comment, while Chelsea did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under Clearlake and Boehly, who bought the club for £2.5bn (around €3bn) from Russian billionaire
Roman Abramovich in May 2022, the Blues have spent hundreds of millions of pounds revamping the roster. Of course, Abramovich had received heavy sanctions from the British Government, which essentially forced him to leave the English club.
"We bought an asset that is sought after by many other potential buyers," Clearlake co-founder Jose Feliciano said, speaking at the IPEM private equity conference in Paris. "Ultimately, we are extremely aligned with these supporters and fans because the best way to make our club more valuable is to win."
But the new owners have yet to see their investment pay off on the pitch, at a club where fans are used to trophies.
Chelsea finished 12th in the league last season, missing out on lucrative UEFA Champions League qualification. The new owners have already parted ways with two managers and appointed ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino to lead the team.
However, the Blues have won just one of their five league matches this season, leaving them 14th in the table. Commercially, the club have so far failed to secure a deal for a main sponsor on the front of the shirt, a position that would normally bring in tens of millions of pounds a year.
"The team had a rough first season, our first season," Feliciano said, adding, "We have a lot of talent."
The west London club is therefore asked to decide whether to rebuild its stadium at "Stamford Bridge" or to build a new one at Earls Court.
Stamford Bridge, with a capacity of
41,000, limits Chelsea's ability to generate revenue and compete with rivals with larger, more modern facilities.
Feliciano said the company could do better financially. "I think what we're trying to do is reduce the wages and essentially the operating expenses of the company by over $100 million a year," he added.
Boehly and Clearlake agreed in June to acquire French Racing club Strasbourg. Last September, Ares said it had raised $3.7 billion to invest in sports leagues, teams and media and entertainment companies.
The alternative asset manager typically invests across the capital structure, making impressive hybrid deals that may include equity advantages, but also protection through financing mechanisms based on Ares' credit markets expertise.
Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece)
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