Todd Boehly is making himself at home at Stamford Bridge. The American co-owner was once again in attendance in SW6 on Tuesday for the Champions League defeat of Borussia Dortmund and got an early glimpse at how special the competition is.
Especially in this season for the Blues, whereby they have little else to play for, European nights have been ones to savour. The three best performances of the campaign have arguably all come in the competition. Home and away against AC Milan, with the first of those at Stamford Bridge providing its own eager ambiance, and now Borussia Dortmund.
Be it the yellow tint from the away flares and pyros, the extra effort of supporters to arrive early and set the tone or the sheer volume of the crowd throughout, it is a game that will live long in the memory.
READ MORE: Why Kai Havertz was allowed to retake Chelsea penalty vs Dortmund amid visitors' complaints
The 2021 Champions League triumph was, though spectacular and brilliant, dampened somewhat by the lack of fans allowed in stadiums throughout a memorable knockout stage. No such restriction is around anymore and it undoubtedly helps Chelsea.
Stamford Bridge is an old ground with history and can, when in the mood, be a serious aid for the team. The fanbase has been largely divided in recent times and Graham Potter has felt the brunt of that but when 40,000 people come together to make a difference it is remarkable what can happen.
Potter, who truly showed how much the game meant to him, used it to his advantage and showed signs of truly engaging with those that watch his side for the first time. "It's an important game, it's a special atmosphere. It's a passionate evening. Both sets of supporters contributed to that," he said after the game.
"Stamford Bridge was rocking and our performance helped that. We pressed high, we tackled, we tried to attack them. Like I said, all of this against a top team."
That isn't how things have been recently with sections turning on him audibly. When Stamford Bridge is united it is a unique setting in English football. Anfield has a new stand, the Etihad is less than 25 years old, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is brand new with little success in it so far.
The Emirates Stadium has only just found its voice but the Bridge is a different matter. The tight nature of the stands to the pitch mirror the enclosed area around the ground, something that has so-far halted any expansion work. It's here that Boehly must decide where to go.
As he walked across the field at full-time with his co-owner Hansjorg Wyss it would have been a special moment. Champions League nights have formed a key part of the club's recent history and not wanting to lose that sense of belonging is vital for a club steeped in history and togetherness.
The lucrative business of football and European competition in particular is a seriously important one for owners to tap into and with the goal of getting Chelsea's revenue to £1bn, more money from ticket sales and matchday expenditure is needed. Stamford Bridge in its current form limits that.
The ground is only the ninth biggest in the league and is at least 20,000 seats behind Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United. It is one of the most pressing but also largest areas for immediate action for Boehly but having witnessed the effect that the famous old place can have, it becomes more of a dilemma.
Planning permission has been hard to come by due to residential areas surrounding the ground and the general lack of space to build onto. Work has been denied before due to potential light polution as well. The Telegraph has reported that plans to relocate to other grounds while work is done remains possible.
When asked about the matter last year, new director Jonathan Goldstein said: "We are looking very heavily at redevelopment. The planning process is something which we will start during the course of the next year and we'll hope central government will get behind it and see it as an engine for growth.
"The only problem, of course, is the management of interest rates because it makes it so much more expensive to develop." He also stressed that no delays will stop the club from moving quickly to resolve the outstanding matter which has been discussed on and off for over 10 years.
"No, no, we'll carry on as fast and as hard as we can. It is a big project and there are very many constituents involved and we are at the beginning. But we will carry on because we believe in the business, in Chelsea FC and the area and we know, over time, Stamford Bridge needs redevelopment.
"We've had three sovereign wealth funds say to us at the moment, the United Kingdom is on hold. They'd rather watch, and watch and wait. Britain looks uninvestable at this point."
The outstanding point here being that even if Chelsea could sort the stadium issue out quickly, losing or diminishing what is a very special atmosphere at Stamford Bridge in favour of a modern ground suited to larger revenues is going to be something that grates with current matchday goers, though it is possible to imagine it appeals to even more international fans.
Striking the balance in-between the two and ensuring Chelsea compete financially as well as keeping the soul and spirit of the Bridge is one of Boehly's biggest challenges. As Potter knows, they are the lifeblood of the club and can pick the team up when it needs it, as well as letting everyone know when performances drop.
"I think the supporters have been really fair with us.," he said. (The) supporters care, so when the results aren't what they want, they feel pain. They have to articulate that pain somehow, to get rid of it, and whether that's at me or whoever it is, we all know in this job that is what happens.
"They've been really supportive, they really have. They've stuck with the team and helped us on the pitch. Rightly so, when we haven't performed the way we should, they've let their feelings known and that's fair enough."
READ NEXT:
Chelsea already have four advantages for next Champions League clash after Graham Potter U-turn
When is Champions League quarter-final draw after Chelsea beat Borussia Dortmund in classic tie
Chelsea's dream Champions League quarter-final: Tuchel revenge, Osimhen test, Fernandez reunion
Thierry Henry makes Kai Havertz demand in comparison to Arsenal and Man United player
Why Kai Havertz was allowed to retake Chelsea penalty vs Dortmund amid visitors' complaints
