A club statement was released by Chelsea Football club confirmed this morning that a final and definitive agreement to sell the club has been entered.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that a final and definitive agreement was entered into last night to sell the Club to the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital consortium. It is expected that the transaction will be completed on Monday. The Club will update further at that time.”
Early this week the UK government approved the club to be told with Boehly/Clearlake Capital Consortium being the favourite to buy among umpteen bidders.
The UK government sanctioned Roman Abramovich just a few days after the owner plans to sell the club. His sanction was linked to his involvement in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. On 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine, and on 26 February Roman Abramovich gave “stewardship and care” of the club to a charitable foundation.
According to the BBC, the government does not want Abramovich to receive any of the proceeds from the sale, which will instead go into a frozen bank account to be donated to charity.
“Following the sanctioning of Roman Abramovich, the government has worked hard to ensure Chelsea has been able to continue to play football. But we have always been clear that the long-term future of the club could only be secured under a new owner.
“Following extensive work, we are now satisfied that the full proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual. We will now begin the process of ensuring the proceeds of the sale are used for humanitarian causes in Ukraine, supporting victims of the war.
Roman this morning bid his farewell to the club and the fans.
It has been nearly three months since I announced my intention to sell Chelsea FC. During this time, the team have worked hard to find the right custodian for Chelsea FC that would be best positioned to successfully lead the Club into its next chapter.
The ownership of this Club comes with great responsibility. Since I came to Chelsea nearly twenty years ago, I have witnessed first-hand what this Club can achieve. My goal has been to ensure that the next owner has a mindset that will enable success for the Men’s and Women’s teams, as well as the will and drive to continue developing other key aspects of the Club, such as the Academy and the vital work of Chelsea Foundation.I am pleased this search has now come to a successful conclusion. As I hand over Chelsea to its new custodians, I would like to wish them the best of success, both on and off the pitch.
It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this Club – I would like to thank all the Club’s past and current players, staff, and of course fans for these incredible years.
I am proud that as a result of our joint successes, millions of people will now benefit from the new charitable foundation which is being established. This is the legacy which we have created together.
Thank you.
Roman
