Vesper

36.2 - Ibrahima Konaté is the most shocking for me

lol sis, you used 'FA' and 'sense' in the same sentence 🤣

I fully accept that most of the Brits involved will be Tories and the other billionaires not having 100% 'clean hands' but I will be fucked if I get assuaged about owners from a family who IF they tried to implement their US political agenda over here (especially Sweden) much of it would be in violation of hate crime laws (hets mot folkgrupp) same for that cunt (who also has run HIS sports team, the NY Jets, into ground and at a level even worse that the Ricketts with the Cubs) Woody Johnson, who openly advocates for the UK to copy TRUMP the big difference between Ricketts and Johnson and their ilk versus the Qataris, UAE, and yes, Roman, is that the first two (Ricketts fam and Johnson) openly want to turn the entire West into their vision for the US, especially the UK whereas the others do no such thing (they limit their medieval ways to their own nations, for the most part, with the major exception of the Saudis), and Roman actually pushed the opposite agenda here, he was anti hate and bigotry even if we limit debate to the US political sphere, owning Chels aids the RW yanks, gives them additional agency (and profit, one assumes, at least I do) and THAT enables them to push agendas (even if mostly indirectly) that have and will continue to drift across the pond to here, as the political forces they support want to take their christofascist crusade to all of the West

Raphinha: Chelsea transfer target playing in West Yorkshire agrees on terms with Barcelona https://astamfordbridgetoofar.com/2022/03/Chelsea-transfer-news-barcelona-personal-agreement-leeds-united-winger-raphinha/ According to the Spanish publication Sport (h/t The Sun), Chelsea have been dealt a transfer blow as Barcelona have reached a personal agreement with Leeds United attacker Raphinha. He has been one of the best players in his position at Leeds for a while and seems to be in line to leave his club this summer. The Brazilian has a contract with Leeds until 2024, but he is expected to depart his side at the end of this season. His club was eager to tie him down on a new deal, but he has rejected the latest proposal. Barca have taken advantage of this situation and have found common ground with the winger ahead of a summer transfer. The Blaugrana side has agreed to terms with the 25-year-old over a five-year contract and has tabled an initial bid of £29million to the Whites as well. The Spanish side enjoyed an edge over the competitors as the forward’s agent, Deco, played with them in the past and is also currently a scout for them in South America. Chelsea still have a chance This supposed deal is, of course, not yet a done deal as the Catalans are yet to agree to the transfer fees with Jesse Marsch’s side. Moreover, the English side is currently keeping a firm stance that his £70million release clause must be activated. As such, we can use that to make a final stand and make our case for signing the Premier League attacker. It would not be easy at all, with the Whites ace already having made up his mind according to the piece of information stated above. However, there is always a possibility that he can change his stance in the future, so we should not give up just yet. That being said, we must be wary of Liverpool, who are also keeping tabs on his situation. However, the sanctions imposed on Thomas Tuchel’s side prevent them from engaging in transfer dealings, which would be another blow for us. After all, we would be forced to solve this ownership uncertainty before setting things up for a potential move. Hence, we must take care of that matter as soon as possible so as not to lose out on our targets. Since the Brazil international has already refused to sign an offer from his current club that would have doubled his wages, it’s not wrong to take that as an indication that he is looking to leave them after all. Currently, we have ample forwards in our ranks but a player like Raphinha is certainly someone we would be wise to not say no to. Only time will tell us an answer on whether we can retaliate and pip the La Liga club in the process to strike a deal with the West Yorkshire-based club. If we miss out on him, it would, however, not be the end of the world for us.

it is not just anti-arabic that family is bathed in anti-LGBTQ, racist, forced birtherism (ie the falsely named 'right to life'), wanting to outlaw abortion, etc etc they give millions to RW christofascist politicians and poltical groups and the one who is governor of Nebraska (Pete) is a radical RWer with actual political elected power wants to ban teaching of anything to due with racism if it makes white children uncomfortable, wants to block talking about LGBTQ issues in schools, wants to ban many books, wants to outlaw abortion, including making it illegal to travel outside the state of Nebraska to get one, etc etc as a multiracial, part black, queer female, that is just appalling and unacceptable to me on every level Roman was no angel, but he was the polar opposite of all that on every issue listed PLUS they run the Chicago Cubs like shit after the team finally won the championship after over a 100 year wait (they only have won 3 World Series titles ever in 152 years, 1907, 1908 (the legendary Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance teams, see below for the poem), and then in 2016), they cashed in and broke it up for profit These are the saddest of possible words: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds, Tinker and Evers and Chance. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double – Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Original title That Double Play Again Subject(s) Baseball Publisher New York Evening Mail Publication date July 12, 1910

The Ricketts Family have issued a statement seeking to reassure Chelsea fans about their values as their takeover bid hit a major stumbling block due to leaked emails seeming to show issues with racism and Islamophobia. https://www.caughtoffside.com/2022/03/23/Chelsea-bidders-statement-on-racism/ The Blues are currently up for sale due to sanctions placed on Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who can no longer operate as the west London club’s owner due to his links with Vladimir Putin. Still, the Ricketts Family are unlikely to be warmly welcomed at Chelsea as leaked emails showed Joe Ricketts referred to Muslims as “the enemy” back in 2019, raising serious concerns about their suitability to take over at Stamford Bridge. See below for their statement as they insist they have good relations with the Muslim community in Chicago and will seek to show their commitment to diversity and inclusion if they manage to buy Chelsea… CFC fans might not be too convinced by this, and it will be interesting to see what kind of reception they get if they do end up winning the bid for the club. Several other suitors remain involved, however, and most Chelsea fans will surely be hoping that almost anyone else ends up taking over from Abramovich.

hideous New Chelsea kit 2022/23: Home shirt leaked, unique training top revealed and launch date https://www.football.london/Chelsea-fc/news/Chelsea-home-kit-202223-leaked-23470946

Chelsea likely to fetch highest price ever paid for a sports team after more than 20 parties make bids https://theathletic.com/3202316/2022/03/22/Chelsea-likely-to-fetch-highest-price-ever-paid-for-a-sports-team-after-more-than-20-parties-make-bids/ Chelsea are likely to fetch the highest price ever paid for a sports club or franchise after more than 20 interested parties made bids for the Premier League side last week. Current owner Roman Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on March 2, six days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started. The 55-year-old oligarch appointed New York-based merchant bank Raine Group to run the sales process and it is understood that he was hoping for a figure north of £3.5 billion. That, however, looked unlikely when he was added to the British government’s list of sanctioned individuals on March 10, due to what it described as his longstanding and close relationship with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. With Abramovich sanctioned, Chelsea became a frozen asset. The need for a quick sale — with government involvement — combined with uncertainty about how to value a club who have been so generously subsidised by their owner for 19 years but still needs to redevelop their stadium, led most football finance experts to predict a price tag closer to £2 billion. But that appears to have underestimated the global interest in buying the reigning and European and world champions, and it now seems the club’s many suitors will have to raise their bids closer to £3 billion ($4 billion) — a sum that would easily beat the $3.35 billion (£2.5 billion) Joseph Tsai paid for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center home arena in 2019. That is the largest cheque ever written for a sports franchise until now, with the next biggest deals — baseball’s New York Mets, Houston Rockets of the NBA and NFL franchise the Carolina Panthers — grouped around the $2 billion mark. The highest price ever paid for a football team is still the £790 million the Glazer family spent buying Manchester United shares between 2003 and 2005. The Athletic understands bids for Chelsea were still arriving over the weekend, despite Raine setting a deadline of 9pm UK time on Friday. None of those offers, however, are considered to be a credible option, given the scale of the transaction and the unprecedented circumstances of the sale. Raine is aiming to whittle down the bidders to a shortlist of three or four by the end of this week. Those parties will then be invited to make improved final offers, with a winner chosen by the second week in April. The bank will then ask the UK government for a second licence — an exemption from the UK’s sanctions rules — to allow the sale of the asset. This effectively gives the Foreign Office and Treasury a veto over the deal, another complicating factor in the process. That said, the government has already made it clear it does not want to see Chelsea go out of business, so a quick but orderly change of ownership is the desired outcome. Chelsea are not a confiscated asset, though, so Abramovich still has a say in the process and it is understood Raine has been instructed to select the best bid, not necessarily the biggest, with the Russian wanting Chelsea to go to a group or individual with a proven track record, a vision for the club and easy access to funds. As Abramovich is currently banned from benefiting from the sale, the proceeds will initially go into a frozen bank account. What happens after that, though, is the subject of some debate. When he announced he was selling the club, Abramovich said he wanted the “net proceeds” to go to a foundation he would set up for the victims of the war in Ukraine. The British government wants that, too, but is unlikely to let Abramovich decide how that money is allocated, so there is still uncertainty about how the money raised from this sale will be used. It is possible it could sit in a frozen account, accruing interest, until Abramovich’s sanctions are lifted, although The Athletic understands his intention is still to give the money away. He has already said he is writing off the £1.5 billion he has pumped into Chelsea in soft loans since 2003. If all goes to plan, Chelsea could be under new ownership by May. In terms of who that might be, there are four bids that appear to have the inside track. They are the syndicate of investors assembled by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly; a bid led by the Ricketts family, who own the Dodgers’ fellow baseball club Chicago Cubs; an Anglo-American group involving Sir Martin Broughton and Crystal Palace co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer; and an offer from NFL side New York Jets’ owner Woody Johnson. Others with a chance of making the shortlist include a bid funded by British private equity firm Centricus and one led by British property developer Nick Candy, who is backed by South Korean investors. A bid from the Saudi Media Group is not considered to be among the frontrunners. Those who have no chance of success include several groups who put in bids based on turning Chelsea into a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) — an ownership concept based on blockchain technology. One of these groups has told The Athletic it wants to create “the ChelseaVerse”, with fans around the world encouraged to buy tokens that would give them a say on club matters, discounts and access to unique video content. The leaders of this particular group include two former footballers based in the US and they are backed by a leading global hospitality and leisure brand. They have asked to remain anonymous at this point and that is how they will probably stay, as neither Raine nor the UK government is likely to entertain something as radical or unproven as this for Chelsea.

Centricus Todd Boehly Nick Candy Martin Broughton Saudi Media all 5 of those groups would be fine I think Centricus looks really good, almost all involved are rabid Chels fans and they have huge backing (tbh, all 5 of those groups do)

and he is a SHIT owner, terrible the Jets have been a laughingstock for ages under him he just milks them for that New York market captive cash

IF the Ricketts buy us, there is a decent chance I stop supporting the club. Dead serious. I cannot stress how ACTIVELY RW, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, xenophobic, pro rentier/rapacious capitalism, pro christo-fascist that family is, and they contribute millions to help spread it politically in the United States. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is one of the most RW state governors in the US. All the decades of hard work that Roman did to support inclusiveness, oppose hate and racism, etc, will be put at risk. Just putting this out there so all know where I stand, and how serious I am.

Huddersfield Town's Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill named among best young players in world football The Terriers centre-back has been listed alongside international stars like Jude Bellingham and Gavi as one of the most promising players on the planet aged 19 or under https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/huddersfield-towns-Chelsea-loanee-levi-23465902 Huddersfield Town centre-back Levi Colwill has been named among the top 50 young players in world football in a list assembled by NXGN, a global network of journalists operating in 37 countries. Borussia Dortmund’s England international Jude Bellingham has topped the men’s list, with Reims’ Haitian midfielder Melchie Dumorney topping the women’s list. Only players born on or after 1st January 2003 were considered for selection, and past winners of the men’s list include Ansu Fati, Jadon Sancho, Justin Kluivert, Rodrygo, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Youri Tielemans. Colwill is on loan at the John Smith’s Stadium from Chelsea this season and has put in a standard of performance that belies his youth: he only turned 19 last month. The defender, who is currently on international duty with England under-21s, has won plaudits for his maturity on and off the pitch and is tipped for a big future in the game. Terriers head coach Carlos Corberan said of Colwill earlier this season: "I think he’s going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future." Town have conceded just 20 goals in Colwill’s 22 Championship starts this season, though he has found his opportunities limited recently after Matty Pearson and Tom Lees excelled in his absence with a knee injury he suffered soon after the turn of the new year that kept him out for around six weeks. Colwill is the only current Championship player named on the list, which also includes the likes of Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Barcelona starlet Gavi. The top 50 young players in world football according to NXGN Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund Florian Wirtz - Bayer Leverkusen Gavi - Barcelona Jamal Musiala - Bayern Munich Harvey Elliott - Liverpool Rayan Cherki - Lyon Devyne Rensch - Ajax Youssoufa Moukoko - Borussia Dortmund Benjamin Sesko - Red Bull Salzburg Ricardo Pepi - Augsburg Vacant (“Dynamo Moscow’s Arsen Zakharyan was placed at number 11 on the men’s list. Since then, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NXGN’s editorial team made the decision to leave place 11 vacant.”) Matias Soule - Juventus Yusuf Demir - Rapid Vienna Marcos Leonardo - Santos Luca Netz - Borussia Monchengladbach Mohamed-Ali Cho - Angers Ilaix Moriba - RB Leipzig (loan at Valencia) Ilias Akhomach - Barcelona Kacper Kozlowski - Brighton (loan at Union Saint-Gilloise) Romeo Lavia - Manchester City Felix Afena-Gyan - Roma Hannibal Mejbri - Manchester United Liam Delap - Manchester City Caden Clark - RB Leipzig (loan at New York Red Bulls) Kayky - Manchester City Malo Gusto - Lyon Xavi Simons - Paris Saint-Germain Charlie Patino - Arsenal Andreas Schjelderup - FC Nordsjaelland Kaiky - Santos Naci Unuvar - Ajax Levi Colwill - Chelsea (loan at Huddersfield Town) Isak Bergmann Johannesson - FC Copenhagen Adam Karabec - Sparta Prague Alejandro Balde - Barcelona Roko Simic - Red Bull Salzburg Carney Chukwuemeka - Aston Villa Wahid Faghir - VfB Stuttgart Valentin Barco - Boca Juniors Kaide Gordon - Liverpool Bryan Okoh - Red Bull Salzburg Edouard Michut - Paris Saint-Germain Matheus Franca - Flamengo Shola Shoretire - Manchester United Lucas Gourna - Saint-Etienne Gabriel Slonina - Chicago Fire Roony Bardghji - FC Copenhagen Marcelo Flores - Arsenal Endrick - Palmeiras Bruno Iglesias - Real Madrid

those two are the worst of the worst

‘I am upset’: Potential bidder for Chelsea reacts on IG after latest developments in takeover story https://peaceloaded.com/i-am-upset-potential-bidder-for-Chelsea-reacts-on-ig-after-latest-developments-in-takeover-story/ Catalina Kim has uploaded a rather cryptic message in response to the takeover process of Chelsea which is currently ongoing. It was recently revealed that C&P Sports Group, of which Kim is the CEO, had joined Nick Candy’s consortium bid to buy the Blues. Candy also acquired the services of Hana Financial Group, as he aimed to improve his previous offer of over £2billion (Sky Sports) submitted last Friday. Evidence of the additional funds has made its way to The Raine Group, the merchant bank in charge of selecting Roman Abramovich’s empire. A shortlist of candidates will now be drawn up, of which Candy is now likely to be a part of thanks to the South Korean investment. However, Kim’s recent social media declaration suggested the proposal hadn’t been successful. In a translated Instagram post, which she has since deleted, the football agent seemingly referenced the move for Chelsea as part of Candy’s team. “Tomorrow is 2022 and Chelsea’s handkerchief. If it is the end of my move, I am so sorry and sorry to all of those who supported me,” she wrote. “I am sorry to my partners in the consortium who believed in me and held my hand if we fall. Sign… How did we get here… I am upset.” What does this mean for Nick Candy? Make of that what you will, but it certainly sounds like Kim is accepting defeat. We are yet to hear anything from Candy on this matter, yet the signs from one of his partners aren’t exactly positive. If the consortium, led by the property developer and Chelsea fan, falls short, then it would clear the way for the other big-name players in the race. The Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, are involved in the bidding war, as are Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss’ joint effort. New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is also in the running, as are reportedly the Saudi Media Group and global investment firm Centricus. Take your pick Chelsea fans. end IF true, this sucks, because look at what she was bringing in:

I do NOT want either the Ricketts or Woody Johnson (and he is not even in a consortium, thus at 'only' around £4bn total net worth, he is not nearly wealthy enough) both have run their teams (Chicago Cubs and the NY Jets, respectively) like shit, especially Johnson, who would be a fucking disaster and they are all (except for one of the Ricketts women) RW Trumpian lickspittles

Chelsea supporters group slam ‘universally disdained’ bid from the Ricketts family https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/21/Chelsea-supporters-group-slam-universally-disdained-prospective-owners-16317185/ The Ricketts family donated $1million to help Donald Trump get elected (Pictures: Getty) The Ricketts family’s bid to buy Chelsea is gathering pace but faces significant backlash from a supporters group who claim their ownership would betray the values of the club. Prospective bidders had until Friday evening to submit their offers to US merchant bank Raine, who are overseeing the sale of the west London club on behalf of Roman Abramovich. Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family, along with another US bid from a consortium led by Todd Boehly, have become the frontrunners to win ownership of Chelsea, with over a dozen viable offers set to be whittled down to a shortlist of around three. The Ricketts family aren’t exactly popular owners of the Cubs (Picture: Getty) According to the Evening Standard, the Ricketts family are increasingly confident of being on that shortlist and Tom Ricketts has already held talks with the MP for Chelsea and Fulham, Greg Hands. They are due to head to the UK in the coming days for face-to-face talks with fan groups and Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC to outline their vision, while their redevelopment of Wrigley Field is seen as a big positive – particularly as they plan to rebuild Stamford Bridge. But Brian Wolff, head of the Chelsea Chicago Supporters Club, has warned against letting the Ricketts family take over, citing the troubles and controversies that came with the redevelopment of Wrigley Field as well as the political leanings of the family. ‘As the Head of Chelsea Chicago Supporters Club, and the Chelsea Fans’ Forum Overseas Representative, I’ve had a unique position hearing what supporters in Chicago and worldwide have said regarding the Ricketts family’s bid for Chelsea,’ he wrote. ‘I can report the vast majority of opinion has been of universal disdain. ‘The Ricketts’ political donations, fundraising and support for candidates who do not share the inclusive views of Chelsea Football Club and its supporters are wholly inconsistent with 19 years of fantastic work done by the club and the Chelsea Foundation, most notably as a leader in committing to a living wage and efforts to protect and promote equality for BAME and LGBTQ+ communities. ‘Their ownership of Chicago Cubs baseball and redevelopment of Wrigley Field raises serious doubts whether they will build upon the club’s success on the pitch, and also the continued existence of the Chelsea Pitch Owners and the goal to keep Chelsea Football Club playing at Stamford Bridge at our forever home. ‘On behalf of countless supporters worldwide, I urge you to reject their bid for ownership of Chelsea Football Club in favour of others who will commit to not only building upon the last two decades of investment in players and infrastructure, but equally important, the investment in supporters and the values we hold dear.’ Back in 2020, Tom Ricketts was openly booed by disgruntled Cubs fans at an annual convention, while prior to the redevelopment of Wrigley Park the owners threatened to move away from the iconic stadium if their plans for a larger scoreboard and additional signage were not approved. Meanwhile, the heads of the Ricketts family, Joe and Marlene, donated $1million to a pro-Donald Trump Super PAC to help him get elected in 2016, while son Todd was the chief fundraiser for Trump’s re-election campaign – though all three had initially been never-Trumper Republicans. Emails from Joe Ricketts also resurfaced last week in which he described Muslims as ‘the enemy’, with the Daily Mail reporting that a number of players are uncomfortable with the prospect of the family taking over. MORE : Nick Candy ‘significantly increases’ bid to buy Chelsea after initial offer of over £2bn MORE : Football Association plan to sell tickets to Chelsea fans for FA Cup semi-final

I want Anthony Taylor SACKED

sure, I say give him a chance to prove he is a big stage player there are only 2 players on the planet I would love to dodge if/when we play their teams because they are the two most single important players (to their teams) on the planet and I HATE one team, and dislike the other Benz Lewa they are also the 2 best CF's on the planet atm as well De Bruyne is damn close to me saying him as well, BUT his loss is not as vital to Citeh as those 2 would be to Real and Barca, especially Benz for Real

they will refuse to sell you a ticket when they see your tattoo

'Ridiculous' to prevent Chelsea fans attending FA Cup semi-final, says MP Julian Knight Chelsea are unable to generate new revenue, including from ticket sales, under the current licence imposed by the Government; Julian Knight said: "It is ridiculous that we face the prospect of a half-full Wembley for the Chelsea vs Palace FA Cup semi-final" https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/12572187/ridiculous-to-prevent-Chelsea-fans-attending-fa-cup-semi-final-says-mp-julian-knight

one of the worst PSG efforts I have ever seen in my life, absolutely shameful Poch is surely going to be sacked at season's end, if not sooner

Monaco v Paris Saint Germain extended highlights https://soccercatch.com/matches/18157322/monaco-vs-paris-saint-germain#media

hard pass on fat boy Shaw there are only 3 LB's who are clearly better than a healthy Chilwell atm and none are available Alphonso Davies Andrew Robertson Theo Hernández there may soon be 4 IF Nuno Mendes continues his rise zero chance I would swap a healthy Chilwell for Ferland Mendy Jose Gaya is really class, but not sure if he is up to the EPL and he has a cray 100m euro release clause there was a wild card (and I say he would already be on Chels if not for his horrid injury in the Euros) Leonardo Spinazzola right footed inverted LB BUT he will not be filly fit by summer 2022 transfer window after that horrid Achilles rupture in the Euros that all leaves Abdou Diallo (can play CB as well, which is a big plus with AC and perhaps Rudiger leaving) Borna Sosa Aaron Hickey Marc Cucurella Renan Lodi Ramy Bensebaini Caio Henrique

they oversee around £40 billion in global assets Centricus, a London-based asset management firm, has joined forces with Jonathan Lourie of Cheyne Capital and Talis Capital's Bob Finch, previously majority shareholder of FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, to submit an offer prior to Friday night's deadline. Lourie, Finch, Centricus' co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam and the firm's chief executive officer Garth Ritchie are all season-ticket holders at Stamford Bridge. Centricus has advised FIFA and UEFA over funding in the past, and has access to significant funds. To underline this they have a staggering £40billion invested in technology companies, financial services and leisure companies. 'We oversee £40bn assets,' Al-Bassam said via Zoom on Sunday afternoon. 'We've been focused on content for a number of years, the FIFA work, the UEFA work, is all built around our view that content is a very, very dominant aspect of technology going forward and sports is a very core, key aspect of content.' 'There's a clock [on finding a new owner for Chelsea] ticking because the club is bleeding money at a faster rate than it should be while there's uncertainty there. 'I've had the same seats in the Tambling suite and the same seats in the West Stand for 10 years. I'm worried for the staff there when I see this turmoil. 'We see the same people hosting us when we walk in. They're amazing to us. We see the same people in the stands looking after us and I'm feeling for them. 'We've tried to focus on a proposal which align the ownership of the club with long-term investors with a deep history with the club. If you look at the proposal we put forward, keeping it an entirely British finance proposal is core to that. 'There are plenty of very successful clubs financed by international investors but in this case after two decades of exceptional success by the club, the club has the fanbase with the resources to support the club to maintain that success. That's what's very unique about this proposal.' While Al-Bassam loves the club, he was refreshingly honest about how he and the consortium wish to make a profit out of the Blues too. 'We've looked at the club in the past. There have been occasions where there were rumours of the club being available but ultimately all those projects were shelved. 'Our bid is all domestic, we don't have any foreign investors so we're using domestic capital which I think is quite noteworthy. We all attend the matches with our kids. 'I don't think any of us are coming purely because we're fans or purely because we love football. 'It's really driven by the commercial opportunities. But it is a long-term investment. For us, you simply can't buy a club and expect to sell it in five or 10 years. The expectations from the fans, the regulators, be it the FA or Premier League or from the Government, would be not to have a sale of this club in the next five or 10 years. 'So this would have to be a very, very long-term commitment. The commitment just around either a stadium expansion or a new stadium is a half-decade commitment and that needs to be done in consultation with the community, the council and with fans.' Elaborating further on that, Al-Bassam explained that commerical revenue could be enhanced in multiple ways for the west London outfit - including via sponsorship and their global network of footballers. 'It involves investing in clubs on a global basis in order to have the facilities to be able to manage talent,' he explained. 'The advantage of being able to invest in an MLS club, a Portuguese division two club, a club in Australia or Asia opens your horizons to being able to manage youth development. 'Chelsea has one of the largest loan books out there, they have a huge amount of talent, they recruit a lot of youth, they have a very big network clearly that can be leveraged. 'The price of what Chelsea will be acquired for at the peak today versus some of the cost of those other clubs to join the network could be quite attractive. 'So there is a business angle to this but the most important thing to remember is Chelsea's not broken today. We think Chelsea's well-managed fundamentally under sporting and business side.' l-Bassam loves the club, he was refreshingly honest about how he and the consortium wish to make a profit out of the Blues too. 'We've looked at the club in the past. There have been occasions where there were rumours of the club being available but ultimately all those projects were shelved. 'Our bid is all domestic, we don't have any foreign investors so we're using domestic capital which I think is quite noteworthy. We all attend the matches with our kids. Centricus chief executive officer Garth Ritchie is part of the consortium who want to buy Blues He's joined forces with Jonathan Lourie of Cheyne Capital - who is also a Chelsea season-ticket holder you may remember the firm from this: UEFA Weighs $7 Billion Centricus Deal to Stop Super League https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/uefa-is-said-to-discuss-eu6b-financing-proposal-from-centricus