Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali
Behdad Eghbali(Image: Adrian Dennis/AFP)
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Xabi Alonso now has a clear path forward at Chelsea on an "important day" for the club following the news that Clearlake Capital have acquired almost full control in west London.
Clearlake co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano have even more power at Chelsea following Todd Boehly and Mark Walter selling their respective 12.8% stakes. Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss remains an "important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group".
Eghbali, who has been the head honcho at Stamford Bridge since buying the Blues alongside Boehly's consortium in 2022, played a significant role in luring Alonso, a much sought-after coach, to Stamford Bridge in May after numerous conversations both over the phone and in person.
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Alonso has worked with Eghbali, officially, for just more than two months and the Spaniard is very pleased with how things have unfolded thus far. The Chelsea manager said the manner in how things operate within the club is the "way he likes to work".
Alonso said: "I think that it's an important day for the club when there is an important change in the structure of the club and the ownership.
"A few points, I have to thank the former owners for the work they've done. I was not here but I know that they played an important role and now that Behdad is taking more control, almost full control, I think it's good that the main one is clear.
"I have very good relations with Behdad, he was the one that came to Madrid to explain me the project, to convince me and we are working well together. As I mentioned, this is phase one that we have completed in the project of the squad and it's good and now we move on together."
Asked about his relationship with Eghbali, Alonso said: "It's fundamental [to have a strong relationship with Eghbali]. You need to understand how things are going to work.
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali
Behdad Eghbali(Image: Robin Jones)
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"When you start discussing, you start evaluating things; this can work, we can work together, we can share our opinions. It's not like one has the final word on everything.
"We try to be aligned to take important decisions. We have taken a few of them so far. And there are more to be taken. This is the way, for me, I like to work."
Eghbali has always been the dominant figure in Chelsea's boardroom but Boehly was quite often the main face in the media. Boehly said in a statement that he has "valued" his partnership with Clearlake and is confident Chelsea are "well positioned for continued success under Clearlake's leadership".
Eghbali and Clearlake co-owner Jose E. Feliciano said nothing will change in terms of the 'day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy' within the club.
The ownership group also said in a separate statement: "Yesterday [Wednesday] marked an important milestone and the beginning of the next chapter for Chelsea.
"We thank our departing partners and are grateful for their contributions to the Club. We move forward with a shared sense of purpose, clear direction and confidence in what comes next.
"Our ambition is clear: to compete at the highest level, to win major trophies, and to build sustained success."