Everything is going smoothly for Chelsea on the pitch at present, but there are still a number of issues behind the scenes that Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital need to address.
Following the 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, Enzo Maresca’s side are in 3rd place and have an identical record to 2nd-place Arsenal.
Incidentally, the only reason Chelsea are not the closest team to Premier League leaders is because they are yet to play Arsenal away, with away goals in head-to-head matches the only thing separating them.
Maresca refuses to say his team are title contenders yet, and most fans would probably agree that is wise given the turbulence that has consumed the club in recent years.
Head Coach Enzo Maresca of Chelsea during a press conference at Chelsea Training Ground on November 21, 2024 in Cobham, England.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea for £2.5bn in May 2022, the owners have spent billions on new signings and completely rewired the setup behind the scenes.
Most notably, they have changed managers twice, while Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have been installed in an unconventional sporting director duo.
However, arguably just important is the revolution that has taken place in the Stamford Bridge executive branch, where there have been dozens of ins and outs.
Diagram illustrating the ownership of Chelsea, split between factions led by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali
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Most recently, Todd Kline was appointed as Chelsea’s new chief commercial officer.
Following his arrival from Tottenham, item number-one on Kline’s to-do list is to secure a new front-of-shirt sponsor for Chelsea.
The PSR margins are still tight in SW6 and the Blues simply cannot afford to forego a commercial deal that they were hoping could be worth £60m, which is more than 10 per cent of annual revenue.
An infographic explaining how PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) work in the Premier League and UEFA
Nike are said to be unhappy with Chelsea on this front as they reportedly believe the absence of a sponsor has impacted shirt sales.
And the latest developments from the sportswear giants’ headquarters in Oregon in the United States suggests that the impact could extend beyond a few cross words between executives.
Chelsea battling Tottenham for Air Jordan endorsement
At Paris Saint-Germain, officials credit the meteoric rise of the club’s brand largely to their collaboration with Air Jordan.
The partnership Nike off-shoot endorsed by NBA legend Michael Jordan has allowed PSG to evolve from a football club to a lifestyle brand.
Officlal Chelsea club crest next to official club kit supplier Nike 'swoosh' during to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brighton &am...
Photo by Visionhaus
This has unlocked huge new revenues, with PSG accessing markets that were previously unavailable to them. In layman’s terms, people who aren’t at all interested in football now buy PSG products.
So when it emerged that Chelsea’s £60m deal with Nike could include an Air Jordan tie-in next season, the eyes of the club’s commercial chiefs probably bulged with imagined riches.
However, as relayed by kit industry insiders Footy Headlines, Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham are also in the running for the Air Jordan deal. Like Chelsea, Spurs are also sponsored by Nike.
Champions League qualification, according to football finance expert Łukasz Bączek, could be pivotal. In this area, Chelsea have an advantage over Spurs, who currently sit in 7th place.
But with Nike believed to be disgruntled by the sponsorship situation at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will be praying that they have not blown their chance.
Todd Kline factor could be key as Chelsea woo Nike, says finance expert
Speaking exclusively to TCC, Liverpool University football finance lecturer and industry insider Kieran Maguire suggested that the Air Jordan co-sign could be transformative for either Spurs or Chelsea.
Maguire, who hosts the Price of Football podcast, also observed that Todd Kline’s defection from North to West London has created an interesting subplot.
“I think this would be absolutely fantastic,” he said.
“You have got a brand which has transcend the sport in Air Jordan.
“That ticks a big box. Clubs want to get more and more football brands wearing, being seen to wear, and paying for their products.
“You do that by making streetwear as opposed to matchday wear.
“How often do you see people wearing a football shirt or merchandise on a non-football day? Not that often in the grand scheme of things.
View of the Nike kit on display ahead of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 First Leg match between Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv at Stamford Bridge on M...
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
“On the other hand, people wear Air Jordans everyday. It is a lifestyle brand and Chelsea are looking at every opportunity to increase commercial revenue.
“Ironically, Spurs lost their commercial director to Chelsea. I think there could be one or two egos broken as to who signs off on this deal because there are scores to settle on both sides.”
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