As another key milestone in the race to buy Chelsea passes today, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has already set out two priorities for his successor. Four bidders advanced past the first stage of the process, and final offers must be made and submitted by today's end (April 14).
The Russian has owned the west London club for nearly 19 years and has overseen a massive turnaround in fortunes, leading them to two Champions League titles and even a Club World Cup title. However, he chose to sell the club in February and was sanctioned by the UK government shortly after for alleged ties to Vladimir Putin.
While Abramovich is unlikely to profit from the sale as a result of the sanctions, he is expected to have a say in who succeeds him at Stamford Bridge. Todd Boehly, Stephen Pagliuca, Sir Martin Broughton, and the Ricketts family continue to lead separate consortium bids to buy the club.
Over the last few weeks, each interested party has sought to boost their bids with additional investment. Mark Walter, a former partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has joined Boehly, while Steve Pagliuca has sought the advice of Bob Iger and John Terry, and Ken Griffin has joined the Ricketts family.
Whoever takes over has two clear instructions that Abramovich would most likely want them to follow and that he has repeated throughout his tenure as CEO. To maintain consistency and to ensure that you are benefiting the surrounding communities.
"First and foremost, when you say something, you must always follow through," he explained in a rare interview with Forbes in 2021. "And, I suppose, that's especially true if you're someone who doesn't say much." "As a result, what you say is critical." Second, football is synonymous with society. Football is a component of society, and society is a component of football. So it's natural for football to be involved, to support the community, and to be present in the community."
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