Todd Boehly erases every sign of Roman Abramovich

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Todd Boehly erases every sign of Roman Abramovich

Manos Staramopoulos • jul 03, 2023

The american owner has marked the end of an era of Roman Abramovich who turned the Londoners into a world power in 19 years

The change of baton in the leadership of Chelsea with the American Todd Boehly taking over the reins of the "blues" on May 30, 2022, marked the end of an era of Roman Abramovich who turned the Londoners into a world power in 19 years.

The first 13 months of the new "boss" of Chelsea, although "connected" with 16 transfers (some of them top-class, such as that of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica instead of 121 million euros) which raised the total cost to 611 .5 million euros (!), were accompanied by resounding failures at all levels and in all competitions for the Londoners:

UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit by Real Madrid (in the only competition in which the Blues had a satisfactory run), 4-0 FA Cup 3rd round exit by eventual treble-winner Manchester City, easy elimination (2-0) by the "citizens" in the League Cup and... sinking in the Premier League, where Chelsea finished in 12th place with 44 points, 45 away from the champions City and 17 points away from the European "tickets".

The dismissal of the super successful Thomas Tuchel - who could not keep up with the "wants" of the new owner - brought in the arrival of Graham Potter for whom Boehly, spent 25 million euros in order to release him from Brighton and 103 days after ... sacked to leave Frank Lampard as "caretaker" coach, who drank all the "bitter glass" of the "blues" and the negative streak of the last quarter with just one win in the last 14 games of the season.

The arrival of Maurizio Pochettino was accompanied by a central decision of the ownership: "Remove" everything that reminds of the previous "era". Even to Chelsea's direct "competitors" in the Premier League such as Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United.

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In the last 13 months with the departures of Jorginho (to Arsenal), Werner (to Leipzig), Emerson (to West Ham), Christensen and Marcos Alonso (free to Barcelona), but even more so in the last month with the sales of players like Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, the process of 'erasing' every 'mark' of Abramovich at the club is in full swing in order to usher in the 'new era'.

At the same time reducing the financial "opening" of Chelsea - as... the Financial Fair Play is waiting - given that the sales of the last 13 months so far have put 279 k euros in the coffers of the English team. And then and on and on with Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek getting ready to... move "package" to Milan instead of 41.5 million euros both. Limiting Chelsea's "cheap" to... 351 million euros, if you include the 60 million euros that have already been "committed" to Leipzig for the purchase of Christopher Nkuku.

The departure of the great N'Golo Kante on a free transfer to Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad on a €100m contract for the next two years and the imminent release of the iconic César Azpilicueta (who has been playing for the Londoners since 2012, making over 500 official matches ) were the last "signs", that the previous "Abramovic era" is now "off" and Chelsea is now fully entering the "Boehly era".

But are the hundreds of millions of euros in first-line stars and the thoughtless wastes enough to restore the "blues" to a leading role in the Premier League and then (from the 2024/25 season) in the Champions League? This season will "show" a lot and it will certainly take much more patience with Pochettino at the "helm" in order for this matchup of so many stars to (again) become a winning team...