Explore the unraveling of Chelsea FC under Todd Boehly’s ownership. From a record-breaking takeover to the ensuing chaos in the following months.
Boehly led the £4.5 billion takeover of Chelsea in May 2022, which became a record deal in professional sports. Since the takeover, the American and his cohorts spent over £600m in the transfer market, buying 17 players and appointing four managers. The Blues managed to obtain 11 wins to finish 12th in the Premier League with a -9 goal difference and on 44 points; their worst-ever points tally in the domestic division. The aftermath of the record-breaking takeover of CFC left the outfit in disarray, a stark contrast to the high hopes that accompanied the massive deal. The Blues found themselves mired in a season nobody could have predicted.
Chelsea’s managerial merry-go-round
In one season, Chels‘ had four managers who combined for 44 points. The Blues sacked one of their most successful coach Thomas Tuchel just seven games into the season after spending £278.4 million backing him with new players and a bolstered squad. Tuchel did not get off to a flying start but with his record at the Bridge, there was more than enough evidence to show he could have gotten a tune out of the squad. The new ownership decided to go for a manager that shared their vision and hired Graham Potter.
Boehly’s Potter experiment did not work out as the Englishman was let go after just six months in charge. Potter could not identify his best XI and the performances under him lacked identity and were miles away from what he was producing with Brighton & Hove Albion. The ex-Brighton coach was signed on a five-year deal but was not trusted enough by the ownership.
The Blues wanted to steady the ship and get through the season. The club decided to go for Frank Lampard, who had an abysmal record with Everton in the same season. The Toffees were battling relegation when they sacked Lampard. Even with a better squad at Stamford Bridge, the Englishman’s struggles continued as he was not able to improve the situation. The managerial saga at SW6 displayed the lack of planning and inexperience of the new regime.
The backroom clear out
Soon after the takeover, The American let go of Marina Granovskaia who held the Chief Executive position. Granovskaia was responsible for all the transfers at the club, and she attained major deals for the team, including the Eden Hazard departure that was worth up to £130m in 2019. She won The Best Director in European Football award in December 2021 at the golden boy awards. An executive with a vast knowledge of the European football landscape and a great negotiator.
The new owner could have benefited from her insights and made better decisions in the market. Boehly is a successful businessman but does not have experience in European football deals. Club legend and technical and performance advisor, Peter Cech also decided to step away from his role.
The clear out did not stop at the management level, it found its way to other departments at the Bridge too. Long-serving head physio, Thierry Laurent was sacked from the club after 17 years of service. Laurent was let go during the international break in September 2022 over a brief Zoom call. Physiotherapist Jose Calvarro was also let go from the treatment room. The American owners decided to bring in their medical staff yet many players suffered from injuries throughout the season.
The ground employees were next to receive the axe. Father and son, Jason Griffin and Reisse Griffin were fired by the new ownership. Jason had been head groundsman since 2003. Griffin had won many awards for the work he and his team did at Cobham, Stamford Bridge, and Kingsmeadow. Groundsman being sacked is not a usual theme in football.
Bloated squad size
A scattergun approach to signing players was a poor strategy. The West Londoners signed multiple players for the same positions and Thiago Silva mentioned the bloated squad size in an interview with beIN Sports, and how it posed a challenge to the manager and the players.
"“The club is going through a tough patch, it was all a bit vague at the beginning, then there was a change of ownership, many players came in. We even had to extend the dressing room as it wasn’t big enough for all the players. A positive is that we’ve got great players in the squad. On the flip side, someone is always going to be annoyed or feel down because not everyone can play. The coach can only pick 11 players yet there are 30-odd here. That’s an issue”."
New signings Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Benoit Badiashile struggled to get minutes and settle into the team. Too many options became a cause of concern for CFC causing selection issues and player dissatisfaction. No one could come up with a solid starting XI for the Blues.
Boehly and his team could learn from the recent takeover of Newcastle United. The Magpies saw a change in ownership in October 2021 and it has been handled very strategically. NUFC signed players that were integral to their plans and were not breakout signings. Eddie Howe guided the club to an 11th-place finish after a run of 12 wins in their final 18 games, and Newcastle became the first team in Premier League history to avoid relegation after failing to win any of their first 14 games.
NUFC secured a UEFA Champions League spot for the first time since 2002/03 as they finished 4th in the league. All signings were part of a plan and played a crucial part in the campaign. The Magpies spent €180m on five players that highlighted the importance of thoughtful planning and targeted signings as opposed to Chelsea’s approach of signing 17 players.
Todd Boehly’s first season at Stamford Bridge can be a great learning curve as there are multiple fronts the club can improve on. The Blues have been very active in the offseason shipping out players like Kai Havertz and many many others on the way. Trimming down the squad size is the first step in the right direction, the next step would be taking inputs from Mauricio Pochettino in transfers for a more cohesive approach.