The UK Government has urged the implementation of a football regulator ahead of what they claim to be a "pivotal month" for Chelsea. The Blues are currently in their third month of an ownership saga, with hopes that a deal to buy the club can get over the line by the end of May.
It all stemmed from owner Roman Abramovich putting the club up for sale, with the Russian being sanctioned by the UK Government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shortly after. Raine Bank has been in charge of overseeing the takeover process, slimming the choice down to Todd Boehly’s consortium as the preferred bidder.
The uncertainty surrounding the club has continued to drag on, with concerns over whether Abramovich will receive any of the money, or even renege his promise to clear the £1.6billion loan. Amid the problems, manager Thomas Tuchel admitted that the ongoing process has impacted his players.
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"We did excellent until the international break and it had no effect in terms of results - in fact, it had almost the opposite effect on the results. We felt very strong during the difficulties and during the announcement of the sanctions in place.
"But then something very human and normal took place with the players not here [during the March internationals]. There were also different influences to them, maybe more thoughts about the situation in general and now the situation has been very long. The players want to feel competitive and know what's happening next season.”
The UK Government’s role in the process is important, as they are likely to sign off the final bid and want to make sure none of the money made from the deal makes its way back to Abramovich. And, amongst the issues, the Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports spoke in the house about the Chelsea situation.
Nadine Dorries said: “We’ve reached a pivotal point with football. There can be no more Macclesfields, no more Derbys and no more Chelseas. We need a fit and proper person test for owners of football clubs. And it is happening. (Opponents of a regulator) may not like it but it’s happening.”
The Blues will be hoping that they can get the takeover completed, with the future of the club still at stake.
