Clearlake’s near‑total takeover marks a new era for Chelsea
Xabi Alonso hailed an “important day” for Chelsea after shareholders including Todd Boehly sold their stakes, allowing Clearlake Capital to assume almost full control of the London club. The manager thanked Boehly and Mark Walter for four years of involvement and signalled readiness to move forward with Behdad Eghbali at the helm.
Clearlake becomes sole owner
Clearlake, already the majority shareholder with roughly 61.5 percent of the equity, purchased the minority stakes of Boehly and Mark Walter, pushing its ownership to near‑total control of Chelsea Football Club. The Financial Times valued the transaction at about £5 billion, debt included, and reported that the sale will bring roughly £950 million to the two former directors. The fund was co‑founded by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano and has partnered with Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, who retains a 12.83 percent holding.
Manager welcomes the change
Alonso said, “I think it is an important day for the club when there is an important change in the structure of the club, new ownership.” He added that, although he was not present during the previous era, he recognises the hands‑on role Boehly played after the post‑Roman Abramovich era. “Now that Behdad is taking more control, or almost full control, I think it is good that the main one is clear,” the manager explained.
The Spanish coach also praised his relationship with Behdad, noting that the investor travelled to Madrid to explain the project and convince him of its direction. Alonso described the ownership shift as “phase one” of a broader squad project that has already been completed.
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Squad preparation ahead of Brentford
With a three‑week international break looming, Chelsea face one more Premier League assignment, travelling to Brentford on Friday night. Alonso confirmed last‑minute fitness assessments for captain Reece James, Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson, while Moises Caicedo could also return after three matches on the sidelines.
He said Joao Pedro remains a “possibility” despite being ruled out for Brazil with a supposed injury, adding that no player is ruled out for Friday and final decisions will be made after tomorrow’s training. The Brazilian has already contributed three goals and three assists in the first four league games of the season.
Broader implications for Strasbourg
The ownership change also affects Racing Club de Strasbourg, as Clearlake now controls both clubs within its consortium. The French side will remain under the same shareholder structure, with Wyss retaining his stake in the French outfit.
Despite the shift in shareholding, Chelsea announced that day‑to‑day administration and the long‑term sporting strategy will stay unchanged. Boehly will also relinquish his role overseeing football operations, ending his four‑year tenure that began with the 2022 acquisition of the club for about €2.9 billion from Roman Abramovich.