The Ricketts family is concerned about rival bidders’ involvement in the Chelsea fans’ protests
According to ESPN, Chelsea ownership candidate the Ricketts family believes a rival bidding group is playing them by provoking Blues fans to protest against their potential takeover. They believe they are the victims of ‘dirty tricks’ from rival parties.
After Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced his decision to sell the club, four candidates were shortlisted by the Raine Group, the U.S. investment bank overseeing the whole process.
A consortium led by former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton, another formed by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, Atalanta’s co-owner Stephen Pagliuca and Chicago Cubs owners Ricketts family are the final candidates for the ownership of Chelsea football club.
One member of the Ricketts family, Joe Ricketts’ islamophobic emails, got leaked earlier. Even though Joe is not involved with the family in the bidding process, his historical wrongdoing has fueled the ongoing protests against his family.
What to make of this?
First, the Chelsea fans showed their anger online, and recently a small group physically protested outside the Stamford Bridge before the Chelsea vs Brentford match. They were seen holding banners that depicted disrespectful comments against the Ricketts family.
Even though Raine Group is managing the whole process inside closed doors, the Ricketts family believe their rival bidders are secretly supporting the fans’ protests in order to outshine them in the bidding process.
Being one of the most popular clubs globally, Chelsea’s ownership has become a lucrative asset for any business group. Using the club’s stature, the winning bidder could boost their profile and business in the U.K. Hence, there are huge stakes involved.
The Ricketts family has given a public statement earlier where they reveal their eight-point model to grow the club. However, recent protests suggest their bid to take ownership of the club may be under threat. Nevertheless, there is always the possibility of an understanding that can be reached between the fans and the family.
Even though money is an essential factor in the race, without the supporters’ trust and faith, winning the bid would be hugely problematic for any group. Football clubs, in a true sense, belong to the fans- the residents of the city and those that follow their journey around the globe.
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If owners don’t have that, things turn ugly. Mike Ashley’s spell at Newcastle United was one such example. It is important that fans can trust their owners to be good human beings apart from being shrewd businessmen. The two don’t necessarily have to exist in separate boxes.
Chelsea fans are smart. They wouldn’t need to be brainwashed by rival groups to protest against something they may otherwise deem as good for the club. The onus is on the Ricketts family to show they are good people and can be good owners of the club- and it remains to be seen how they manage to do it in the coming days or weeks.