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LONDON. — Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said on Saturday he hoped the process to find a new owner for the English Premier League football club would be completed “as soon as possible”.
Speaking after his side reached the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win at second-tier Middlesbrough, Tuchel was asked about the off-field turmoil in the wake of Russian owner Roman Abramovich’s decision to put the club up for sale.
“I hope that the process will go through as soon as possible to clear the situation and to calm the situation down and give everybody an outlook to the nearer future,” he said.
“So that we know with whom we are dealing and what the situation is we are dealing with. This is what we are hoping for. We hope things will be pushed as fast as possible and we can see ourselves in a calmer situation.”
Abramovich announced he was putting the London club up for sale after 19 trophy-laden years on March 2 in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea, the object of several buyout bids, are operating under a special licence from the British government after Abramovich had his assets frozen.
So far three bids have been made to purchase the European champions by consortiums led by British property developer Nick Candy, Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family and the pairing of Martin Broughton and Sebastian Coe.
US bank Raine Group has been overseeing the sale process since before Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government and set a 2100 GMT deadline on Friday for bids to be made.
Meanwhile, John Terry will attempt to protect Chelsea’s “history and heritage” by joining the True Blues Consortium in their bid to own 10 per cent of the club.
Terry has backed the True Blues Consortium’s bold plans to levy funds to buy a stake in Chelsea through a community scheme.
Fans would be able to buy into the set-up from as little as £100, with the True Blues Consortium aiming to work with the club’s eventual new owners on buying a minority share in the club.
Terry and former Chelsea women’s player Claire Rafferty have put their names to the consortium, with True Blues chiefs having made contact with Raine Group, the bank overseeing Chelsea’s sale.
Chelsea Pitch Owners, who own the Stamford Bridge freehold, and the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust have backed the plan in principle. — AFP
Online Reporter