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.
2. Financial investment (Gabe Henderson)
On the back of the last slide, fans want their club to remain competitive. Chelsea has created a ruthless, cut-throat environment based on results over the last 19 years. Winning has become a part of the club’s DNA over that span as trophies have been delivered by almost every manager that has graced the touchline at Stamford Bridge. While English football has its Cinderella stories over the years, it’s impossible to maintain these incredibly high standards without significant financial investment from the owner(s).
The fact remains that as long as Thomas Tuchel stands on the touchline in a Chelsea track suit, the Blues will have some chance. However, it requires a massive amount of financial commitment to succeed long-term, regardless of the manager leading the charge. Antonio Conte is a great example of this thought as he demands funds every transfer window to improve his club’s squad. Tuchel may not be as nagging as the Italian with his wishes, but look no further than last summer to see what it will take to keep the German happy in the grand scheme of things.
The new owners will need to be ready to open their checkbooks as early as this summer as the Blues attempt to strengthen the already incredible squad they have at their disposal. Players like Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger look likely to leave and replacing them won’t be an easy task. Expensive additions like Jules Kounde await in the coming months, should the new owner be willing to fork over the funds following a takeover rumored to coming in at around £3 billion.
It goes without saying these investments won’t be temporary either. In the business world, you have to spend money to make money; football is the same way. It’s unlikely that the club gets an owner as willing to throw cash at a plethora of players as Abramovich has been for two decades, but even clubs like Liverpool pay for premium talent regularly. Chelsea cannot afford to be stingy or it risks falling into footballing mediocrity alongside its neighbor, Tottenham. The new owners don’t need to spend as much as the Blues have recently—especially given the rebuilding efforts of the last few seasons at Stamford Bridge—they just have to splash when necessary.
3. Commitment (Olaoluwa Nwobodo)
The new owners have to also be consistent in committing to all the things that Abramovich was committed to during his 19 years, especially the women’s and the youth teams. Chelsea boasts the best women’s team in England and the best youth academy in Europe over the last decade or so, both by fairly wide margins given their recent successes.
The Blues’ academy teams have been winning a major competitions over the past five to 10 years. They have produced top talents and established players across several top five European Leagues. Chelsea’s youth system has produced senior starlets such as Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James, Mason Mount and Christensen. It has also produced current loanees like Tino Anjorin, Armando Broja, Levi Colwill, Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher and many others. The Cobham academy has also produced players that the Blues have gone on to sell outright like AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori, AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham, Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
None of this happened overnight either. These success stories are the result of the time and resources put, over several decades, into getting the best players and the best facilities to nurture these talented youngsters. The youth academy is the product of relentless, intentional work put in by the soon-to-be former owner. This work has helped Chelsea not only to make money, but also to produce key players in a Champions League-winning side.
Meanwhile, Emma Hayes’ women’s team has also been supported significantly by Abramovich. Chelsea has one of the best coaches in women’s football in Hayes, and she has been given what is essentially a lifetime contract for her efforts over the past 10 years. Simply put, Hayes has the job until she decides to resign. This is Abramovich and the club’s hierarchy putting their money where their mouthes are, trusting Hayes and continuing to give her all the support she’ll ever need.
The Blues have won the FA Women’s Super League (FAWSL) in two consecutive seasons, as well as several domestic cups. In fact, they got to the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League just last season and only lost to a Barcelona Femeni side that was—and continues to be—the best team in the world, undeniably.
At the last Ballon D’Or award ceremony, Chelsea had five players represented in the top 20 of the Women’s rankings. The Blues boast some of the best players in women’s football, including Pernille Harder, Lauren James, Samantha Kerr, Fran Kirby and Guro Reiten. Chelsea was only able to grow the women’s team into this successful juggernaut because of the commitment shown by the owner to get the team there. This commitment has to remain at this level because that’s the only way to promote women’s football not just in England, but around the world, as well.
This commitment doesn’t just cover the women and youth teams, but the men’s team, as well. The men’s team has won every trophy available in club football, a feat that has only been accomplished by five other clubs on the planet. The standard for performance on the pitch is high and it must remain that way, otherwise, Chelsea will begin to decline as a football club.
4. Morals (Olaoluwa Nwobodo)
The new owners must also make sure that they give the club the best image. This includes sponsoring and donating to charitable causes, like fighting anti-Semitism, racism and general discrimination in football. This is not particularly to make the public think that they’re good people, but to make sure that they’re are doing everything they can to inspire positive change in the lives of football players, football fans and the overall community.
Abramovich devoted a lot of resources to fighting discrimination in football and going out of his way to impact lives positively. He set up a Chelsea Foundation and even went as far as allowing the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) workers to lodge in the team’s hotel for free during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Abramovich was always conscious of giving back to society. Likewise, the new owners should be ready to take on their fair share of Corporate Social Responsibility, and not just by doing the bare minimum. Chelsea is not a club or brand that was built on doing just the bare minimum—the emphasis on charity must remain a priority.
In conclusion, new owners will not be taking over a mid-table club to turn it into something great, they’ll be taking over an established European giant. In the end, they have to make sure that every decision is made with the intention of keeping the club at the highest status possible.
This status must be reflected in everything they do. The way the club handles business should reflect the utmost professionalism and the business should be of the standard that many have come to expect from the club. The passion they put in has to at least match that of the previous owner. The recruitment should reflect the status of the club. The women’s and youth teams must not suffer because there’s new leadership in place. Chelsea must continue to give back to society and invest in fighting injustice and discrimination in football.
All of these things have been done by Abramovich during his time as the Blues’ owner and that’s why the club is what it is in the present day. The new owners have to make sure that they do everything to make sure that the club at least maintains this status and ensures it is not in a worse state than this by the time they’re handing it over to the owner(s) that will succeed them.
What are some of the other things you are looking for in a potential owner? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!