June 22, (THEWILL) – In a significant development, the American owners of Chelsea Football Club have successfully acquired Strasbourg, a French Ligue 1 outfit, according to an announcement made by the BlueCo consortium.
The consortium expressed its commitment to driving sustainable investments in the club’s growth, focusing on the first team and the academy. Marc Keller, the current Chairman, will continue to lead the club with support from the existing management team. This move marks a new chapter in Strasbourg’s history as they seek to build on the foundation laid by Keller.
Led by American businessman, Todd Boehly and US-based Clearlake Capital, the consortium’s venture into European football faced challenges during their initial year at Chelsea. The consortium had to dismiss managers, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, and their interim boss, Frank Lampard, struggled to salvage the team’s performance, resulting in a disappointing 12th-place finish—Chelsea’s worst since 1994.
A substantial expenditure of over £500 million on new players during their first two transfer windows, notwithstanding the owners’ investment, did not yield the desired results. In response, Chelsea appointed Mauricio Pochettino as their new coach to rejuvenate the team.
While the full value of the Strasbourg deal remains undisclosed, the US consortium has acquired nearly all of Strasbourg’s club shares. Strasbourg, which narrowly avoided relegation last season, will be the fifth Ligue 1 club to come under American ownership, following in the footsteps of Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Le Havre. This development underscores the growing interest of American investors in French football and sets the stage for Strasbourg’s future under the guidance of the BlueCo consortium.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
