Chelsea football club have kicked off their multi-club project by buying a majority stake in Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
The size of the stake acquired is unknown, but Chelsea will have close to 100% ownership. It was reported that Chelsea are paying €75 million for their shares.
The BlueCo, the consortium who was involved in the purchase of Chelsea, confirmed the purchase of the Strasbourg shares after releasing a statement saying “it is an honor for us to be part of this historic club.”.
“We are committed to preserving the heritage of Racing and are focused on working closely with Marc and his management team to continue the excellent work they have been doing.”
“This strategic investment would further our presence in European football, alongside our ownership of Chelsea.
“We believe it would create huge opportunities to share knowledge and expertise.”
The deal is a major boost for Chelsea club owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who have been looking for a club to purchase since last season.
Chelsea owners held talks with Ligue 2 side FC Bordeau
Chelsea have looked at a number of clubs in France, Belgium, Portugal, and South America.
The Chelsea owners held talks with Ligue 2 side FC Bordeaux, but different sources stated that Strasbourg made more financial sense.
The price of the Strasbourg was dependent on whether they stay in Ligue 1 or not; however, they were able to achieve that feat after finishing in the 15th position on the Ligue 1 table last season.
Chelsea stepped up their interest in buying Strasbourg after Boehly was unable to reach an agreement with the President of Bordeaux, Gerard Lopez.
Boehly held a productive discussions with Strasbourg President Marc Keller.
In the club, there were 11 shareholders, and Keller, the president, has 27% of the shares. Keller had reacted to the Chelsea deal, saying “the deal will enable the club to further its ambition with responsibility.
“We are doing it for our fans, for our partners, for our town, and for our region.”
However, even with Chelsea buying the majority stake in the club, Keller will still remain the president.
Other Football Owners That Are Into multi-club projects
1 Bill Foley: The Texas-based businessman acquired a stake in Bournemouth back in December 2022.
Foley had gone ahead to claim an ownership stake in French club Lorient in Ligue 1.
2 Nassef Sawaris and Wes Edens: The two billionaires acquired Aston Villa and invested billions to make the club come back to glory days.
They also got a 46% stake in Portuguese side Vitoria.
3 Evangelos Marinakis: He is the owner of Premier League side Nottingham Forest and Greek giants Olympiacos.
His investment made Nottingham Forest stay in the Premier League last season.
4 Gino Pozzo: He is the owner of Serie A side Udinese and England Championship side Watford. He is well known for sacking managers.
The American owner had sacked 12 managers in 10 seasons.
5 Nasser Al-Khelaifi: The part of Qatar royal family and a wealthy businessman own French giant Paris Saint-Germain and Portuguese side FC Braga.
Nasser made a significant investment in Paris Saint-Germain after he bought the club in 2011.
