Chelsea’s Todd Boehly dismisses fan protests as ‘par for course’

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has responded to fan criticism over his stewardship of the club, dismissing concerns as “par for the course.”

Chelsea supporters marched with banners criticising Boehly ahead of Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Southampton. Chief among their concerns was the lack of silverware since Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over in May 2022, as well as his investment in Vivid Seats, a U.S.-site that sells sports tickets at a major mark-up.

Speaking at the Financial Times’ annual “Business of Football” summit, Boehly said that owners should expect fan resentment, adding that he is not able to keep every supporter happy.

“It’s par for the course. The reality is the sooner you learn you’re not going to keep all people happy all the time, freedom shows up,” Boehly said.

“You’re trying to get on a plan, execute a plan, realise things aren’t linear and if you’re in the right direction you feel better. The trend is in the right direction and that’s the thing that really matters. In June it’ll be three years, that’s not a lot of time. Especially in an industry where there’s so little downtime.”

Chelsea are enjoying their best season since Boehly took over, albeit Enzo Maresca’s side are in fifth place in the Premier League, one point shy of Champions League qualification.

The Chelsea co-owner also addressed the club’s failure to sign a striker in January.

“Strikers are hard to find, right? You don’t go into the grocery store and come in and get a striker with an amazing skill set. Then you also have to have a fantastic mentality,” he said.