Todd Boehly attempted to rouse Chelsea’s players before Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid by delivering a speech in the dressing room after the defeat by Brighton on Saturday, during which the American described the club’s season as “embarrassing”.
The co-owner was joined by his fellow board members, Behdad Eghbali and Hansjörg Wyss, when he addressed the squad after Chelsea fell to their third consecutive defeat. Boehly, barracked by supporters during the Brighton game, waited for Lampard to finish talking to the players before stepping up to make clear that the hierarchy expected far better after spending close to £600m on signings since buying the club last summer.
About an hour passed before Boehly, Eghbali and Wyss were seen exiting the dressing room and although it is not unusual for owners to speak to players, one insider said “the whole thing was weird”.
It is understood one senior player, signed for a large fee in the past 12 months, was singled out for heavy criticism. That player, whose identity is not being disclosed, is believed to be disillusioned with the situation and cut a disgruntled figure in training before Chelsea attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Madrid.
Although Boehly made clear his displeasure with the team’s form, his broader intention was to motivate the players before the biggest game of the season. He said the Madrid match represented a chance for Chelsea, who are 11th in the Premier League and at risk of not qualifying for Europe, to salvage the campaign.
Kepa Arrizabalaga insisted there was nothing unusual about Boehly’s speech. “Todd comes to the changing room in every game,” Chelsea’s goalkeeper said. “He had different chats with us after different games. I am not going to say what he said. It is normal when he came.”
Lampard insisted he had no problem with board members going into the dressing room. “There may have been some criticism of our old owner for not coming to games, not being around, and that wasn’t always true to be fair,” the interim head coach said. “But when an owner is invested in their interest in the team and wants to help and improve, it’s their prerogative to have the input they want. I remember the moments as a player of owners first coming into the dressing room.
“It first happened at Chelsea. I remember being really happy that they were there. You could touch them, you could high five them and listen to them and feel them. That’s not a bad thing in terms of the identity of the club and where you want to get to. There is no problem with it. I had my things to say after the game. If the owner comes in and wants to be positive and speak to the players, then I think it is his part to do that.”
Supporters were pictured remonstrating with Boehly during the Brighton match. “With regard to the ownership and fans, passion goes both ways,” Lampard said. “The fans show passion and I don’t think the owners or anybody who comes to Chelsea and expect anything else. We have been fortunate enough that the club has been successful over the last 20 years or so. That means you want more of it.
“The word passion is coming from both sides. These are passionate owners who want to bring a real vision to the club and we are probably the early stage of the process in those terms. We can all be passionate together and work in the same direction.”
Arrizabalaga backed Chelsea to pull off an incredible comeback. “It is not a good season for us,” he said. “What we have to do is believe until the end. This stadium, remontadas [comebacks] can happen. It happened before. We have to deliver. We need a big performance – not of our lives maybe, but a big performance.”
Chelsea have toiled since Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club from Roman Abramovich last year. They have spent big on transfers but have seen little for their investment on the pitch. Chelsea exited both domestic cups early and the decision to install Graham Potter as head coach after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel last September backfired. Potter lasted seven months before being fired and Chelsea have since placed Lampard in temporary charge.
It is understood the poor results have caused alarm over Chelsea’s financial position. There are concerns over Financial Fair Play and there have been suggestions that almost every player will be up for sale this summer. Liverpool are stepping up attempts to sign Mason Mount, whose contract expires at the end of next season. Mount has shown no signs of extending his deal.
Other academy players such as Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Levi Colwill and Callum Hudson-Odoi could leave. Selling them would represent pure profit in FFP terms. Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign the France forward Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig.
Boehly also stole the headlines last week when he predicted that Chelsea would beat Madrid 3-0 at the Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti’s side made a mockery of that prediction thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio. Chelsea lost Ben Chilwell to a red card and Kalidou Koulibaly to a hamstring injury that will keep the centre-back out for several weeks.
