Broughton consortium says it is on shortlist to buy Chelsea
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Broughton consortium says it is on shortlist to buy Chelsea
(Reuters) - A consortium led by former British Airways Chairman Martin Broughton has been included on the shortlist to buy English Premier League side Chelsea, a spokesperson for the group said on Friday.
The group led by Broughton, who is also a former chairman of Liverpool Football Club, includes World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and wealthy investors from around the world, who the group says all want to maintain Chelsea s top status.
Chelsea was put up for sale by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich following Russia s invasion of Ukraine. He said proceeds from the sale would go to charity.
Abramovich was sanctioned by Britain this month, so the winning bidder for Chelsea would need to be greenlighted by the government.
Private equity veterans Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who own sport teams including the National Basketball Association s Philadelphia 76ers, are also backing Broughton s bid.
The duo would have to divest their 40% stake in Crystal Palace, another English team, if their bid succeeds.
The shortlist to buy the club also includes Todd Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss and Jonathan Goldstein.
Other bidders are expecting to hear back from U.S. bank Raine Group, which is overseeing the sale, on whether they had made the narrowed shortlist. Bid revisions had slowed the process. Read full story
Another group, Saudi Media, failed to make the shortlist, an advisor to the group told Reuters on Thursday, while Sky News had reported that other bidders including Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, had also been eliminated.
Hedge fund Elliott Management, which owns Italian side AC Milan, has joined the Nick Candy-led Blue Football consortium as a "minor investor" in their bid for Chelsea, sources close to the bid said.
London-based global investment firm Centricus also said they had offered to buy Chelsea, a move driven by co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam and CEO Garth Ritchie, who are reported to be season-ticket holders.
Meanwhile, the Chelsea Supporters Trust (CST) said another of the bidders for the club -- the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs -- had to demonstrate how they would address supporter concerns with regard to inclusivity.
"They must do so publicly and they must do so urgently," CST said in a statement.
The family recently declared "diversity is central to our values" after a fan backlash over previous racist remarks and also met with supporters earlier this week. Read full story
"If they are unable to... gain the confidence of Chelsea supporters, the CST board does not believe it would be in the best interests of our members and Chelsea supporters for their bid to succeed."
A spokesperson for the Ricketts family did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Chelsea are currently operating under a special license, which the British government amended this week to allow fans to buy tickets to away games, Cup games and women s fixtures. Read full story
The club will not receive revenue from ticket sales, with all proceeds going to relevant competition organisers.
