Chelsea’s co-owner, Todd Boehly, has launched a scathing attack on British newspapers for branding him “stupid,” arguing that it is the critics who lack true understanding. Boehly, the prominent figurehead of Chelsea’s ownership under the American investment group BlueCo, has faced significant flak in light of the club’s high player turnover.
Despite the criticisms, Boehly remained unfazed, likening it to water off a duck’s back. “Sometimes my wife and family take it differently than I do,” he revealed in an interview with the Australian Financial Review. “I just see it as one more person who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. The English papers like to remind me daily of how clever they are and how foolish I am.”
At 52, the American businessman is adamant that Chelsea is on the right track, with the squad poised to evolve. “Our team will continue to grow and thrive,” Boehly assured. “We’ve got them together for a long term, and I’m genuinely excited about the future.”
The scepticism extends beyond the media, with several football insiders echoing concerns about Chelsea’s current model. Former Chelsea player Joe Cole expressed reservations specifically about BlueCo’s business framework approach, heavily reliant on data. “They’re trying to emulate a Brighton-like model, but at the top level, it’s the unseen—the magic and romance—that makes the difference,” Cole shared with F365.
Despite these critiques, under BlueCo’s stewardship, Chelsea achieved their best Premier League finish with a fourth-place spot last season and have clinched the Club World Cup and Conference League since the consortium’s £4.25 billion acquisition in 2022. This purchase followed Roman Abramovich’s enforced departure due to the UK government’s sanctions post-Russian invasion of Ukraine.