The American owners of Chelsea, one of the English Premier League giants, have finalized a deal to acquire Strasbourg, a club in France's Ligue 1. This acquisition marks a significant achievement for Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the owners of Chelsea, who have been actively seeking suitable clubs for purchase since last summer. Initially, it was expected that Chelsea would only secure a minority stake in Strasbourg, limiting their control over the French club. However, recent reports indicate that Chelsea will have close to 100% ownership of Strasbourg.
Strasbourg managed to avoid relegation in the previous season, which caught the attention of Chelsea's hierarchy and made them consider the club for their global project. Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been keen on developing a model similar to that of Manchester City, which has a strong network of 13 clubs worldwide, facilitating the loaning of young players to gain valuable experience.
Chelsea aims to establish its own group of clubs, with Strasbourg being the first addition to their portfolio. However, this decision has not been received enthusiastically by Strasbourg's fans, as some ultras were seen holding up a sign stating "Boehly, not welcome" upon hearing the news of the investment.
As part of the agreement, BlueCo, an entity associated with Chelsea, will invest in Strasbourg's first teams and academy. Meanwhile, Marc Keller will continue serving as the club's president, a position he has held since 2012 when Strasbourg faced the threat of liquidation.
Marc Keller expressed his thoughts on the recent acquisition, stating, "This is an important day for Racing Club de Strasbourg. It's something my shareholder friends and I have been contemplating for the past two years. We have built a club that is financially stable and well-managed. However, we recognized that we had reached the limits of our current model if we wanted to further drive Racing forward and elevate it to a new level of success. To achieve this, we needed to partner with a strong structure capable of supporting our development and ambition."
According to reports from France, Chelsea is said to be paying €75m (£65m) for their share in Strasbourg. Additionally, there are expectations that the Chelsea owners will also acquire shares in a Portuguese club as part of their broader plans. It appears that more teams could be incorporated into Chelsea's ambitious vision, aligning with their grand plans for the future.
