May 8, 2022 at 1:10 p.m. by Thomas
The takeover offer was formalized this Saturday, by Chelsea club communicators, on social networks. The British government has given its approval to the takeover project led by the American businessman, Todd Boehly and his partners, already widely involved in sport himself, as owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball). Cost of the operation: 5.2 billion dollars (4.93 billion euros), the London football club then becoming the most expensive sports franchise in historyas part of a takeover.
$5.2 billion for Chelsea, a record
This is all the more remarkable since rarely has a football team been taken over at this level of investment (over a billion dollars), apart from Manchester United, in 2005. So much so that until then the top 10 was camped almost entirely, only by American sports franchises: basketball, in the NBA, hockey, in the NHL, US football, in the NFL, or baseball, in MLB. Fun fact, Todd Boehly is present twice in this ranking, as leader of the consortium in pursuit of Chelsea and already with the Dodgers bought from a certain Frank McCourt (current owner of Olympique de Marseille), in 2012.
Roman Abramovich forced to step down 19 years later
The recovery operation of the Blues should be completed at the end of this month of May. Chelsea is now worth more than double the New York Mets, for which Steven A. Cohen paid $ 2.4 billion in 2020, for the purchase of all the shares of the club, of which he was until then a minority shareholder. Chelsea belonged for 19 years to Roman Abramovich, but with the entry of Russia into Ukraine and the freezing of the assets of the Russian oligarchs by the English government, he was forced to hand over, in near record time.
Club Statement.
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 7, 2022
The 10 most expensive sports club takeovers in history
10. Seattle Mariners (Baseball) = 1,2 milliards $
9. Miami Marlins (Baseball) = 1,2 milliards $
8. Buffalo Bills (American Football) = $1.4 billion
7. Manchester United (Football) = 1,5 milliards $
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (Baseball) = 2 milliards $
5. Los Angeles Clippers (Basketball) = $2 billion
4. Houston Rockets (Basket) = 2,2 milliards $
3. Carolina Panthers (American Football) = $2.3 billion
2. New York Mets (Baseball) = 2,4 milliards $
1. Chelsea FC (Football) = $5.2 billion
