September 11th 2024.
Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger were two top players who chose to leave Chelsea in the summer of 2022. It was a decision that left the club's owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, feeling hurt. These two Americans had recently taken over control of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in May 2022. They were disappointed that the Russian billionaire hadn't secured contracts with these key players before they arrived.
Just a month after BlueCo completed their takeover, Rudiger left for Real Madrid on a free transfer. This was a big blow for the new owners, but things got even worse when Christensen also departed on a free transfer to join Barcelona. This left Boehly, the public face of the BlueCo consortium, and Eghbali, the co-founder of Clearlake Capital, scrambling to find replacements. It was a situation that deeply hurt them, according to a source who spoke to iNews.
The news of the two Americans' hurt feelings comes at a time when they are reportedly involved in a tense "civil war" at the boardroom level. Their relationship has soured in recent weeks, and there are even rumors that Eghbali is considering a dramatic buy-out that could lead to Boehly leaving the club. Clearlake Capital, which is owned by Eghbali, holds a 61.5% stake in Chelsea, giving them primary control over the club. The remaining 38.5% is split equally between Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss, and Mark Walter.
Given the current tension between the two owners, it's possible that Clearlake Capital would be interested in buying out Boehly's 13% stake if he decides to walk away. However, Boehly seems confident that he can raise enough funds to launch his own takeover attempt. The two owners have conflicting visions for the future of Chelsea, with disagreements over various issues both on and off the pitch. According to Sky Sports, Boehly has doubts about Eghbali's recruitment strategy and is concerned about the lack of progress in redeveloping Stamford Bridge.
It's clear that the relationship between Boehly and Eghbali has deteriorated significantly, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the future of Chelsea. With two top players leaving and tension between the owners, it's certainly a challenging time for the club. Fans will have to wait and see how this situation unfolds and what it means for the team moving forward.
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