Chelsea aims to become the most modern football club in the world. That is the plan of the owner Todd Boehly (49). The American bought the London club from Roman Abramovich (56) for almost five billion euros in May last year. Since then, however, Chelsea have not developed into the new benchmark of world football, but in exactly the opposite direction.
The American Boehly has so far mainly been a wrecker. Its new structures: partially introduced, committed staff – but so far without any positive effect. The fact that even the loyal fans want ex-boss Abramovich and coach Thomas Tuchel (49), who was fired out of vanity by Boehly out of vanity, shows how far the 2021 Champions League winner has fallen.
Coach Potter can cost up to 24 million euros – soon it will probably be about the severance payment
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In terms of sport, the club can no longer do anything under Tuchel’s successor Graham Potter (47). Crash in tenth place. Ten points behind fourth place, which entitles them to the Champions League. Potter has neither a clear concept of play and tactics nor a feeling for the stars. Example Mason Mount (24). The national player seems insecure and is burned. Sometimes he plays on the right in midfield, then on the left in attack, then somewhere in between.
Because his performance suffered, Boehly took the crashed Portugal talent João Félix (23) from Atlético Madrid. The Spaniards paid a whopping 127 million euros in 2019. What is Chelsea doing? Félix is on loan and will pay around 16 million by the end of the season for the lacking confidence in the technician, who was sent off on his England debut at Fulham (1-2) with a red card.
An unthinkable process under ex-boss Marina Granovskaia (48), who had been employed by Abramovich and enjoyed an excellent reputation. She would have either bought Félix cheaply or not signed him at all. Build a player for another club and pay a lot of money for it: not Chelsea-like for them. Like Granovskaia, club legend Petr Cech (40) left management in the summer. Manners went with you.
For example, Enzo Fernández (22), Benfica’s favorite winter player. Granovskaia was considered an extremely tough negotiator, trustworthy, secretive. It was different with Fernández. Chelsea agreed an immediate transfer with Argentina’s world champions and leaked it publicly. The English then tried to reduce the fixed transfer fee of 120 million euros at Benfica by a third – despite a remaining contract term of 4.5 years. This was not only received in Lisbon as “disrespectful” (coach Roger Schmidt; ed.).
Chelsea have ruined the reputation of the serious club in no time. Thanks to Boehly, who wanted to play sports director himself, although he has little idea about football. Tuchel let him feel it. That’s why the coach had to go. He always put sport first, Boehly marketing, show and himself.
Example Cristiano Ronaldo (37). Boehly wanted to sign it up as an attraction in the summer. Tuchel saw no use. Transfer failed, Boehly snubbed. As revenge, the boss had Tuchel’s desired player Wesley Fofana (22) fly to the USA for a medical check-up. As a result, he missed important training sessions. Tuchel was cooking and had to go. The team lost their footing.
Boehly brought in young executives for the reorganization. As managing director Tom Glick, 40 years young. Christopher Vivell from RB Leipzig, 36, came as head of sport, officially technical director. Laurence Stewart, 37 years old, will follow from Monaco in February as head of scouting worldwide, officially also technical director. Joe Shields from Southampton, 35, will be director of professional football.
Mykhaylo Mudryk is set to get Chelsea back on track
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They are to build the new Chelsea. A column: Mykhaylo Mudryk (22), who comes from Donetsk. Chelsea outperformed city rivals Arsenal, will pay up to €100m. As for Kai Havertz (23), who came from Leverkusen in 2020. According to the English media, the technician is now under scrutiny. Likewise the injured Christian Pulisic (24) and Hakim Ziyech (29). They are among the last major Abramovich reinforcements for the offensive and the winning team of the Champions League 2021. Boehly seems to want to break away from the past.
Only: If the winter additions for over 170 million transfer and rental fees do not hit immediately, Chelsea will soon need the next coach. It would be a disaster for Boehly, who had paid Brighton up to 24 million for Potter and his assistants in September. A lot of money for little success.
