Todd Boehly was at Chelsea’s game with Wolves and looked as sick as the proverbial parrot when Wolves pulled back from a 2-0 deficit to win 2-2.
American sports franchise owners reckon that clubs like
Chelsea are undervalued in relation to their potential. They certainly cost a lot less than a MLS
franchise and there is thought to be plenty that can be down to bring in more
cash flow.
Boehly would not be as carefree with spending as Abramovich.
Chelsea have accumulated £1.5 billion of debt under his ownership,
although the Russian has made it clear he doesn’t want the sum repaid.
Sources talk about the consortium running Chelsea similarly
to how Fenway Sports Group operates at Liverpool. FSG still makes major transfers, but
works far more within the club’s means.
People talk of a very data-driven man, someone who believes
in the analytics of a player. While it is not new in football, the suggestion
is Chelsea will not necessarily be chasing the most expensive names but looking
for the right fit. It’s not what you spend but how you spend it.
The need to generate more revenue is high on the agenda. It
is believed Boehly is encouraged by the increased funds that foreign media
rights could bring. He also believes there is still a huge market in the USA
that Chelsea have not made the most of yet. Improving the stadium, which
seems to be a major factor in the sale, is regarded as another money maker.
In a 2019 interview, Boehly said: ‘The new stadiums that
English clubs are building, they’re starting to take an American approach to
stadiums and making them environments,” he said. “They were very utilitarian
historically but now they’re starting to think of them as ‘lifestyle’.
‘Originally stadiums would be a place where you would go and
then leave, just watch an event. Now they’re starting to think about
entertaining you earlier and keeping you longer. That works on lots of levels —
it drives the experience, the economics and it also takes away from the congestion
of arrival and departure.’
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