Who will end up buying Chelsea? As a reminder, in addition to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, there are three still in the running to succeed Roman Abramovich: Todd Boehly, Sir Martin Broughton and Stephen Pagliuca. A final sprint which should be concluded in the coming days under the watchful eye of the British government. Because, as a reminder, Abramovich will not receive a cent from this sale.
But the teams of Boris Johnson, the English Prime Minister, could redirect some of this money to English football. the Times indeed reveals that the number 1 of the government of His Majesty would like that all profits from the sale be donated to a foundation helping the victims of the war in Ukraine. However, the media specifies that such a creation can take time.
Ex-Arsenal boss puts pressure on government
For the time being, the funds would therefore be placed in a frozen bank account. This is where David Dein, the former boss of Arsenal, comes in. the Times announces that Dein is lobbying the government for £750m (around €893m) to be donated to amateur football. In a letter sent to ministers, the latter challenged the government on the need to help Ukrainians, but also not to forget the most disadvantaged in the Kingdom.
“Without a doubt, the victims of the war in Ukraine should be at the center of our concerns and anything we can do to use the money from this sale to support humanitarian efforts should be welcome. (…) But investing in coaches, pitches, academies and facilities in deprived (in England) and left behind areas could be a game-changer for communities and young people. » Concretely, Dein explains that all this money would make it possible to build 1,000 synthetic pitches, renovate 20,000 playgrounds and invest in changing rooms.
