Owner Boston Celtics and Atalanta also want to buy Chelsea

American investor Stephen Pagliuca is interested in buying Chelsea from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Pagliuca wants to make an offer for the English football club this week. He is already co-owner of the American NBA basketball club Boston Celtics and he bought himself earlier this year at the Italian football club Atalanta, where the Orange internationals Marten de Roon, Teun Koopmeiners and Hans Hateboer play.

The European Football Association UEFA does not allow two clubs of the same owner to play in a European tournament. Pagliuca may therefore have to sell some of his shares in Atalanta again if he wants to become the owner of Chelsea. The American already wished the ‘Blues’ “good luck” for the return in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Real Madrid. The defending champion must make up for a 3-1 deficit in Madrid on Tuesday evening. “I hope in the return for a comeback that will go down in the history books.”

Abramovich announced in early March that he wants to sell Chelsea, following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Shortly afterwards, the businessman was put on a British sanctions list because of his Russian connections. Chelsea now has to deal with many (financial) restrictions.

The American bank Raine Group supervises the sales process. Various parties have already shown interest in taking over the club, such as the American Ricketts family, which already owns baseball club Chicago Cubs.