When Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 the club was nothing more than a mid-table English team who had made some big signings that led nowhere. Abramovich instantly brought forth a project to make the team one of the best in the world, with big name coaches and big-time player signings.
Over the course of his reign as Chelsea owner the club won 21 championships including 5 Premier League titles and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues. Despite the on-field glory as the years progressed there were glaring questions regarding the money coming in and out of the club, with strange practices such as having an entire squad on loan, today Chelsea has 23 players out on loan.
Whatever your opinion of Roman Abramovich, he made Chelsea one of the best soccer teams in the world. Now that he is stepping down as owner The Sun has a list of 4 potential candidates to buy the club.
Four potential Chelsea Owners
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (El Pais)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a billionaire chemical engineer who is also a financier and industrialist. Ratcliffe is a Manchester United supporter who strangely has season tickets to Chelsea, the chances he steps in to buy the club are remote given his United ties.
Todd Boehly
Todd Boehly (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Todd Boehly has been interested in buying Chelsea for a while, the US billionaire is the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers. It would be one more American owner to the Premier League.
Hansjorg Wyss
Michael Bloomberg and Hansjorg Wyss (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Oceana)
Philanthropist Hansjorg Wyss has stated that Abramovich “offered him the club” at one point. At 86, with no real ties to sports and already starting, “Me and three others received an offer to buy Chelsea on Tuesday from Abramovich. I have to wait 4-5 days now. Abramovich is asking too much right now. You know, Chelsea owes him £2 billion, but Chelsea don’t have the money. As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price”, the sale of the club to Wyss seems unlikely.
Stephen Ross
Stephen Ross (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is also on the heels of buying Chelsea, Ross was involved in trying to start up the European Super League, he also owns the Relevent Sports Group, which has the rights to broadcast the Champions League in the United States. Soccer is very much on his mind and the chance to own Chelsea which already has American soccer’s biggest name, Christian Pulisic, could mean big marketing bucks down the road.
