Todd Boehly tells Chelsea squad season is ‘embarrassing’ in post-game speech
Co-owner visits dressing room after defeat by Brighton
His aim was to motivate players before Real Madrid tie
Jacob Steinberg
@JacobSteinberg
Mon 17 Apr 2023 09.55 EDT
Todd Boehly attempted to rouse Chelsea’s players before Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid by delivering a speech in the dressing room after the defeat by Brighton on Saturday, during which the American described the club’s season as “embarrassing”.
The co-owner was joined by his fellow board members, Behdad Eghbali and Hansjörg Wyss, when he addressed the squad after Chelsea fell to their third consecutive defeat. Boehly, who had been barracked by supporters during the Brighton game, waited for Lampard to finish talking to the players before stepping up to makeclear that the hierarchy expected far better after spending close to £600m on signings since buying the club last summer.
About an hour passed before Boehly, Eghbali and Wyss were seen exiting the dressing room and although it is not unusual for owners to speak to players, one insider said that “the whole thing was weird”.
It is understood that one senior player, signed for a large fee in the past 12 months, was singled out for heavy criticism. That player, whose identity is not being disclosed, is believed to be disillusioned with the situation and cut a disgruntled figure in training before Chelsea attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Madrid.
Although Boehly made clear his displeasure with the team’s form, Boehly’s broader intention was to motivate the players before the biggest game of the season. He said the Madrid match represented a chance for Chelsea, who are 11th in the Premier League and at risk of not qualifying for Europe, to salvage the campaign.
Kepa Arrizabalaga insisted there was nothing unusual about Boehly’s speech. “Todd comes to the changing room in every game,” Chelsea’s goalkeeper said. “He had different chats with us after different games. I am not going to say what he said. It is normal when he came.”
Chelsea have toiled since Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club from Roman Abramovich last year. They have spent big on transfers but have seen little for their investment on the pitch. Chelsea exited both domestic cups early and the decision to install Graham Potter as head coach after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel last September backfired. Potter lasted seven months before being fired and Chelsea have since placed Lampard in temporary charge.
It is understood the poor results have caused alarm over Chelsea’s financial position. There are concerns over Financial Fair Play and there have been suggestions that almost every player will be up for sale this summer. Liverpool are stepping up their attempts to sign Mason Mount, whose contract expires at the end of next season. Mount has shown no signs of extending his deal.
Other academy players such as Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Levi Colwill and Callum Hudson-Odoi could leave. Selling them would represent pure profit in FFP terms. Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign the France forward Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig.
Boehly also stole the headlines last week when he predicted that Chelsea would beat Madrid 3-0 at the Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti’s side made a mockery of that prediction thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio. Chelsea lost Ben Chilwell to a red card and Kalidou Koulibaly to a hamstring injury that will keep the centre-back out for several weeks.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/apr/17/todd-boehly-tells-Chelsea-season-embarrassing-dressing-room-brighton-real-madrid
