The sale comes as a result of UK and EU sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Chelsea also subject to a number of restrictions.
The club, which includes women’s and youth teams, is not allowed to sell game tickets or merchandise and is limited in how much money they can spend on any given game day.
It’s a one-of-a-kind situation for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that a club like Chelsea rarely, if ever, becomes available on the open market. They are one of the most powerful clubs in the world, having won both the World and European Cups, so there is a lot of interest.
Some of the most serious bidders have both confirmed that they have submitted bids.
Candy, a British luxury property developer who has already pledged to have fan representation on the club’s board if he is successful, has confirmed that he is leading a global consortium to buy Chelsea, submitting a bid of £2 billion.
“The Blue Football Consortium brings together a wealth of global sports, technology, strategic planning, real estate, financial and management expertise, access to capital, and global resources to ensure that Chelsea can compete on the world stage for years to come,” according to the statement.
