History of Chelsea F.C. (2022–present)

See also the History of Chelsea F.C. (1905–1952), History of Chelsea F.C. (1952–1983), History of Chelsea F.C. (1983–2003), and History of Chelsea F.C. (2003–2022)

This article documents the history of Chelsea Football Club, an English association football team based in Fulham, West London. For a general overview of the club, see Chelsea F.C.

Start of Boehly's consortium era (2022–)

On 7 May 2022, Chelsea Football Club confirmed that terms have been agreed for a new ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjörg Wyss, to acquire the club. ^[1] On 25 May 2022, the British government approved the £4.25 billion Todd Boehly-led consortium takeover of Chelsea. ^[2] On 30 May 2022, the sale was completed, ending Abramovich's 19 year ownership of the club. ^[3]

The consortium led by Todd Boehly, chairman and CEO of Eldridge Industries, and Clearlake Capital, announced completion of the ownership transfer of Chelsea on the 30 May 2022. ^[4] The consortium included Hansjörg Wyss, founder of the Wyss Foundation, and Mark Walter, co-founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners. Walter and Boehly are owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Sparks. ^[5] The transaction received all necessary approvals from the governments of the United Kingdom and Portugal, the Premier League, and other authorities that were mentioned by the club in their statement. ^[6]

The club then announced on the 20 June that Bruce Buck, who served as Chairman since 2003, would be stepping down from his role effective 30 June although he would continue to support the club as a Senior Advisor. ^[7] This was followed by the club then announcing the departure of long-serving club director and de facto sporting director Marina Granovskaia on the 22 June 2022. ^[8]

In the 2022 summer transfer window, Chelsea spent more money in a transfer window than any other club in Premier League history. ^[9] The blues spent more than £250 million on players such as: Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. ^[10] Following a Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, Todd Boehly decided to sack Thomas Tuchel early in the 2022–23 season. ^[11] The BBC reported an uneasy relationship between Boehly and Tuchel regarding transfer decisions. ^[12] In September 2022, Chelsea decided to appoint Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter. ^[13] In the January transfer window, Chelsea broke the British transfer record by signing Enzo Fernández for £107 million. ^[14] By spending over £300 million in the January window, they became the first club in history to outspend all four major leagues combined. ^[15] Potter was later sacked in April 2023 with the club sitting at 11th place in the table. ^[16] Throughout the season, Chelsea scored a record-low 38 goals across the entire season and finished up in the bottom half for the first time since 1995–96. ^[17]

On 29 May 2023, it was announced that Mauricio Pochettino would take over managerial duties starting from 1 July 2023, replacing interim Frank Lampard who managed Chelsea since Potter's dismissal until the end of the 2022–23 season, bringing the total number of managers under the new regime to 4 in less than 2 full years in charge. ^[18]

Notes

1. "Club statement | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club". ChelseaFC. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
2. "Chelsea takeover: Todd Boehly's £4.25bn bid approved by government as Roman Abramovich era set to end". Sky Sports . 25 May 2022.
3. Romano, Fabrizio (30 May 2022). "Official. Chelsea confirm Clearlake-Boehly are now in control of the club". Twitter. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
4. "Consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completes acquisition of Chelsea Football Club". Chelsea FC. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
5. "Consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completes acquisition of Chelsea Football Club". Chelsea FC. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
6. "Consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completes acquisition of Chelsea Football Club | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club". ChelseaFC. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
7. "Bruce Buck to step down as Chairman of Chelsea Football Club | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club". ChelseaFC. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
8. "Chelsea Football Club announces new Board of Directors and leadership changes | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club". ChelseaFC. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
9. Tom Mallows (2 September 2022). "Transfer deadline day: Premier League spending reaches record £1.9bn for summer window". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
10. Tom Mallows (2 September 2022). "Transfer deadline day: Premier League spending reaches record £1.9bn for summer window". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
11. Phil McNulty (7 September 2022). "Thomas Tuchel: Chelsea's ruthless reputation for sacking managers continues". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
12. Phil McNulty (7 September 2022). "Thomas Tuchel: Chelsea's ruthless reputation for sacking managers continues". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
13. "Chelsea appoint Graham Potter to succeed Thomas Tuchel as manager". BBC Sport. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
14. "Enzo Fernandez transfer news: Chelsea complete British record £107m fee for Benfica midfielder". BBC Sport. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
15. Miguel Delaney (1 February 2023). "Why Chelsea's obscene January spending is just the start". The Independent. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
16. "Club Statement". Chelsea F.C. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
17. "Chelsea hold Newcastle to close tough season". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
18. "Mauricio Pochettino to become Chelsea head coach". Chelsea F.C. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.