Boehly causes a stir with stadium comments

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has said he and majority ownership group Clearlake Capital could "go different ways" if they cannot agree on plans to either develop Stamford Bridge or relocate to a new stadium.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, the US billionaire said: "We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out.

"That's where we either align or ultimately decide to go our different ways."

However, Boehly also said in the interview at the Milken Institute Global Investors' Symposium that the "status quo is just fine".

A rift between Boehly's camp and Clearlake Capital, which owns 61.5% of Chelsea, became public in September 2024.

Clearlake founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano have been claiming power which once belonged to Boehly behind the scenes.

They have increasingly guided the stadium project, with previously appointed architect Janet Marie Smith, who worked with Boehly on the Dodgers Stadium, being replaced by the firm Populous.

It is unclear exactly what part of the stadium plan could cause a divide, and Chelsea continue to explore all options under the leadership of the club's president, Jason Gannon.

There is an acceptance from all parties that any plans to build what they hope will be the best stadium in the UK is incredibly difficult. The rising costs of building a stadium, the intricacies of working in an expensive part of west London and fan pressure make this situation a uniquely difficult one.

In the Bloomberg TV interview, Boehly added: "Obviously, inside of London, it's really complex. It's not as if we're building something in the middle of a rural environment.

"We have a lot of constituencies to make sure that we care about. Certainly the Chelsea fanbase is one."

Neither Boehly nor Clearlake have yet responded to requests for a comment.