Chelsea new owner wishlist as club searches for Abramovich replacement

Chelsea has been at the forefront of football news over the last month. The Blues have come under fire as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, given their owner is Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. Things have undeniably gone from bad to worse lately for the club as Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government for his status as President Vladimir Putin’s close confidant. While the club itself has played by the rules, it’s still been hit with harsh penalties as a result of Abramovich’s sanctioning. As things stand, Chelsea is not able to perform regular day-to-day operations. The club cannot make any business deals—incoming or outgoing—regarding players, staff or their contracts. Furthermore, the Blues cannot sell any tickets or merchandise.

Abramovich planned to step away from the club before the situation became dire, but the English government stepped in before any true transfer of power could take place. Now, there is a mad dash to get new ownership in so that Chelsea can survive the season and not cripple itself long-term. The deadline for any seriously interested buyers to submit their bids has come and gone. The new shortlist includes just four interested parties that are being investigated left and right by media across the globe. Therefore, we are going to take a different approach in this piece to the new ownership as The Pride of London has already taken a deep dive into the history of each of the four bidders. This article will instead serve to highlight the requirements that fans have for whichever individual or group purchases the Blues within the next few weeks.

Here are the non-negotiable traits that fans want in any potential new owner:

1. Passion (Gabe Henderson)

There is one quality that sits atop any fan’s wishlist for a potential owner: passion. What exactly does this mean though? Simply put, there is little room in the game of football for businessmen. It’s well-known in the sporting world that owning a football club brings in very little profit. It’s hard to end up in the green from year-to-year whilst fielding a competitive squad.

This is part of the reason clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have fallen behind the pack (Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool) in recent years. They have owners in Stan Kroenke, the Glazier family and Daniel Levy (Chairman) who are far more interested in running the club like a business, as opposed to doing whatever it takes to build a dynasty. The Blues and Citizens have both been extremely lucky over the last decade or two to have owners willing to go to whatever extreme necessary in order to ensure the on-field product succeeds.

This is a rarity in sports, let alone English football.

However, it’s not all about money either. Supporters want their owners to be involved in celebrating the club. They want to see their owner(s) sitting in the stands on matchdays cheering on the team. They want to see their owner(s) out in the community sporting the club’s colors with fans. They want to see their owner(s) embracing the rich history of the club and perhaps most importantly, they want to see their owner(s) begin to see things from their point of view.

Chelsea is so much more than a football club to millions across the globe, it’s a temporary and thrilling escape from real life that brings people together. Say what you will about Abramovich, he understood this concept. He turned into an everyday supporter, despite being a billionaire owner. Whether it be smiling down on John Terry’s departing speech or celebrating a Premier League title in the locker room, there was always pride and joy on the face of Abramovich. Supporters yearn to see that same childish glow from their club’s hierarchy to let them know that they care.