Chelsea: Clearlake takes control, Boehly steps down as chairman

Chelsea announced a significant shift in its ownership on Wednesday, September 16: Clearlake Capital will acquire the stakes of Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, taking control of the club. Boehly is also stepping down from his role as chairman of the Blues.

Clearlake and Boehly jointly led the acquisition of Chelsea in May 2022, following the exit of Roman Abramovich, for £2.5 billion. Prior to this new transaction, the investment fund held a 62% stake in the club, according to AFP.

This change does not mean the departure of all other investors. Chelsea clarified that Hansjörg Wyss will remain an important shareholder and partner within the ownership group, even after Clearlake acquires Boehly’s and Walter’s shares.

The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. However, the club stated that Clearlake intends to continue investing in infrastructure, sporting performance, and player development.

Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, co-founders of Clearlake, presented this takeover as a continuation of the strategy initiated in 2022. Boehly, for his part, stated that he is leaving Chelsea in a strong position for its future development.

Chelsea assures that no changes are planned in the daily operations, management, or strategy of the club following this transition.