LONDON: Todd Boehly’s consortium has secured Chelsea’s future but the hard work is just beginning for the latest American billionaire to be lured by the promise of Premier League riches.
Boehly’s group has received the approval from the British government and Premier League required to seal the £4.25 billion ($5.3 billion) deal.
Having masterminded the purchase from Roman Abramovich in less than three months despite numerous complications due to government sanctions targeting the Russian, Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Boehly will now focus on reaping the rewards of his labors.
The American has grand ambitions for the west London club as he targets sustained success on the pitch and financial growth off it.
Discussing a previous attempt to purchase Chelsea that was rebuffed, Boehly told Bloomberg in 2019: “What you are trying to build with these teams, you are really trying to A, win and B, be part of the community.”
The Premier League’s global brand is a key driver of Boehly’s interest as it provides the opportunity to benefit from significant broadcast revenues and merchandising.
“It’s the highest-quality play, it’s the best players,” Boehly said. “You also have a media market that’s just developing.”
Some football financial analysts believe leading Premier League clubs could be worth more than £10 billion within a decade.
California investment group Clearlake will be Chelsea’s majority shareholder as part of the consortium, with Boehly becoming controlling owner.
While the consortium is clearly motivated by guaranteeing a return on their investment, Boehly would be wise to learn from the experiences of his fellow American owners at Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.
John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group has steered Liverpool back to the top of the game with a series of smart moves, crucially landing boss Jurgen Klopp, surrounding him with innovative lieutenants and providing the backing required to land his transfer targets.
In contrast, Manchester United owners the Glazer family and Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke have endured furious fan protests after presiding over precipitous declines in their clubs’ fortunes.
Chelsea have a solid foundation thanks to the sterling work of boss Thomas Tuchel, who won the Champions League in his first season and this campaign secured a third-place finish in the Premier League while reaching two domestic cup finals despite the distractions of the sale saga.
Significantly, Boehly already has institutional knowledge of what it takes to grow a club’s brand, while putting out a winning team.
He was a key member of the ownership group that bought the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt in 2012 for $2 billion — then a record for a North American sports team acquisition.
In the decade since Guggenheim Baseball Management — the investment group that also includes Mark Walter and Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson — took over a Dodgers team in disarray, the club have become perennial contenders.
They reached the World Series three times in four years, coming away empty-handed in 2017 and 2018 before winning the title in 2020.
The turnaround, along with the revitalization of Dodger Stadium, was fueled by a multi-million-dollar media deal and, under Boehly and his co-investors, the Dodgers have eclipsed the New York Yankees as the biggest-spending club in MLB.
“There is only one Dodgers,” Boehly said at the time of the purchase. “It’s not, ‘Oh well, if you don’t get this one, you can go get that one.’“
Boehly left Guggenheim Partners in 2015 and co-founded the holding company Eldridge Industries, of which he is the chairman and chief executive.
He is also chairman of Security Benefit, which has a commercial partnership with the Dodgers, and MRC, an entertainment company with businesses spanning film, TV, media and data.
Boehly has also expanded his sports interests. He is a part-owner of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Sparks and last year joined with Walter to purchase a stake in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.
In recent weeks, Boehly has been able to attend matches at Stamford Bridge, both in the directors’ box and also mixing in the stands among supporters.
The laid-back American appears to have the common touch, but emulating the sustained success of the Abramovich era — with 19 major trophies in 19 years — will be the true test of Chelsea’s new regime.
Boehly’s Chelsea takeover puts US tycoon in spotlight
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Boehly’s Chelsea takeover puts US tycoon in spotlight
- The American has grand ambitions for the west London club as he targets sustained success on the pitch and financial growth off it
- The Premier League's global brand is a key driver of Boehly's interest
Jofra Archer picked by England for T20 World Cup after cruel run of injuries
- Jofra Archer, 29, is considered one of cricket’s most exciting fast bowlers
- England will hope Archer stays fit for four-match T20 series against Pakistan
Jofra Archer was selected in England’s provisional squad for the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, setting up a much-awaited international return for one of cricket’s most exciting bowlers whose career has been derailed by injuries.
The 29-year-old Archer has barely featured for England in any format since 2021, mainly because of ongoing issues with his right elbow for which he has undergone two operations. A back injury ruled him out of most of 2022.
The Barbados-born pacer was a breath of fresh air after switching nationality to be eligible for England ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, which he helped his adopted country win on home soil. Then he played a starring role in the Ashes that year.
England will hope he stays fit to play in a four-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan and then the World Cup, which is being held in the Caribbean and the United States.
England’s opening match is against Scotland on June 4 at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Also in the 15-man squad were Jonny Bairstow and Will Jacks, who have hit big knocks in the Indian Premier League in recent weeks. Left-arm spinning allrounder Tom Hartley is the sole uncapped player in the group.
England will be captained by Jos Buttler, with the team seeking a second T20 World Cup title.
England: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
‘The trip of a lifetime’: Chinese supporters travel 30 hours to watch Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo play
- 5 superfans take dedication to the next level to see their heroes in person
RIYADH: Not many people would travel for 30 hours to watch a couple of football matches but this does not apply to YunXiang Ding and his wife Xutong Guo who are superfans of Saudi Arabia giants Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The couple are from Changchun, the capital of northeast China’s Jilin province, which is just a few hours from the border with North Korea.
On April 1 — and no, this is definitely not an April Fool’s joke — the couple flew three hours from Changchun to Shanghai, waited eight hours at the airport there, and then boarded a nine-and-a-half-hour flight to Dubai.
At this point, they met up with Xutong’s sister Angie, who travelled from Hong Kong, and met Angie’s husband Simon, who lives in Abu Dhabi, to fly three hours from the UAE to beautiful Abha in southwest Saudi Arabia. Friend Triston Zhao, who travelled from Shanghai, also accompanied the group.
And it was there, at the end of an exhausting but hugely exhilarating and worthwhile trip, that they watched Al-Nassr play Damac in the Roshn Saudi League at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Stadium.
Xutong said: “The seats we had in the stadium were very near the touchline and we were close to Ronaldo warming up and when he moved out to the wing. It was the experience of a lifetime. We made a big, handmade poster banner for Ronaldo, and he saw it as he was clapping us walking off the pitch. It was amazing. We were so close to him.”
An injury-time Al-Nassr winner from Aymeric Laporte meant the group truly got to celebrate their trip to Saudi Arabia — but as well as the football, they were also able to appreciate the beauty of Abha. The capital city of Asir province is known for its stunning mountains, greenery, birds and dense juniper forests.
Xutong said: “Abha is so beautiful. The clouds, the scenery — it was more beautiful than the pictures we saw online could ever show. Seeing Al-Nassr play in such a beautiful place was truly special and the Saudi people were so warm and friendly. At the stadium people were asking us for pictures with us, but they said it’s not uncommon for Chinese fans to travel to watch Al-Nassr. Al-Nassr are huge in China.”
Utilizing Chinese public holidays that allowed a 10-day break, the group then flew from Abha back to the UAE, where they watched Al-Nassr play in the Saudi Super Cup in Abu Dhabi. A 2-1 defeat to Al-Hilal, in a match where Ronaldo was shown a red card, failed to dampen spirits about the trip or their love for their adopted team.
Simon said: “We are all big Cristiano fans and started supporting Al-Nassr when he joined — but our love for the club goes beyond him. YunXiang and Xutong in particular are big fans — they watch all the matches at home, and these are often shown very late at night or early in the morning. They have to stay up or get up at various times to watch. People in this part of the world maybe don’t understand how dedicated they are and the lengths they go to watch Al-Nassr. And there are many fans like this in China, Al-Nassr are hugely popular.”
The cost of the trip — inclusive of flights, accommodation and spending money — was “around $5,000 per person,” Tristan said. But each agreed it was worth every penny.
Xutong added: “Cristiano Ronaldo inspires a generation of young people to not give up easily when they face setbacks. He inspires people to be just like him — and even if their efforts sometimes do not lead to a complete perfect ending, the spirit still remains. He is a world-famous superstar and a role model for Al-Nassr and Saudi Arabian football. People may think our trip to see him and Al-Nassr play in person took a long time for travel, but I feel so privileged to have been able to do so. It really was the trip of a lifetime.”
Uzbekistan and Japan to contest 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup final
- Semifinal wins mean both nations progress to the Olympic Games in Paris this summer
- Winner of third place playoff between Iraq and Indonesia will also qualify for Paris 2024
DOHA: Uzbekistan and Japan will face each other in the final of the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup after beating Indonesia and Iraq in their respective semifinals in Qatar on Monday.
The results mean both countries also qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Indonesia and Iraq will contest third place, with the winner also booking their spot at the Games. The loser will have a final chance to qualify in a game against an African federation team.
In the first semifinal at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Uzbekistan took the lead after 68 minutes, thanks to Khusayin Norchaev. Their victory was sealed by an own goal by Pratama Arhan in the 86th minute.
Later in the evening at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Al-Rayyan, Japan beat Iraq — the last Arabian team standing — 2-0 with goals from Mao Hosoya (28 minutes) and Ryataro Araki (42).
The current holders of the trophy, Saudi Arabia, exited the competition at the quarterfinal stage following a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan.
The final between Uzbekistan and Japan is set to take place on Friday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Derrick White scores 38, Celtics top Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 East playoff series lead
MIAMI: The good news for the Miami Heat is that the Boston Celtics might not be back in South Florida for a few months.
And that’s also the bad news for the Heat.
Boston now has full control of this Eastern Conference series, with Derrick White scoring a career-high 38 points on Monday night and leading the top-seeded Celtics past the eighth-seeded Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their opening-round NBA playoff series.
“I made a couple shots early,” said White, who was 15 of 26 from the field and 8 of 15 from 3-point range. “That always helps. Once you make a couple, the basket looks huge.”
The Celtics won at Miami for the sixth straight time and improved to 14-3 in their last 17 games on the Heat’s home floor. But it was a costly win, with Kristaps Porzingis going down in the first half with what the team said was a right calf injury.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he had not gotten a postgame update on Porzingis’ condition.
“I didn’t see what happened,” Mazzulla said.
Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who got 17 points from Jaylen Brown and 11 from Jrue Holiday.
“We had to keep fighting,” Tatum said, “and play desperate in a way.”
Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for Miami, which had a sellout crowd — including Lionel Messi — but played again without injured starters Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck). The Heat managed only 84 points in Game 3 and struggled again on offense in Game 4.
Tyler Herro scored 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for the eighth-seeded Heat. Miami lost rookie starter Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the second half with leg tightness; he will be evaluated Tuesday.
“Offensively, we struggled again,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had some decent looks early on, weren’t able to knock those down, and Derrick White was very good tonight — obviously. ... He was just very efficient, very good.”
The Celtics can advance to the second round on Wednesday when they host Game 5. The Boston-Miami winner will meet the Cleveland-Orlando winner in the East semifinals; that Cavaliers-Magic series won’t end until at least Friday.
But the Celtics now have an injury concern, with Porzingis lifting his jersey over his face in exasperation after getting hurt late in the first half.
And with 5:04 left, the drama ramped up again when Tatum tried to shoot a 3-pointer after a foul was called. Adebayo defended the dead-ball play, and Tatum rolled his left ankle after Adebayo stepped into his landing area. Referees called a flagrant-1 on Adebayo, and a technical on Al Horford.
Tatum remained in the game.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Mazzulla said.
The good news for Boston: History says this series is just about over.
This is the 29th time a Boston team has taken a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series. The Celtics won all 28 of the previous series, including seven times in the NBA Finals and a first-round series against Miami in 2010 — the last games the Heat played before luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Florida and forming a superteam around Dwyane Wade.
Miami just couldn’t keep up in this one. White had 16 points in the first quarter, when the Celtics built a 34-24 lead. And no matter what the Heat did on defense, the offense couldn’t make up any gaps.
Consider: The Celtics had 34 points after 12 minutes, and it took the Heat almost 23 minutes — nearly the entire first half — to hit the 34-point mark. Miami had only 59 points through three quarters, matching a season low set in Game 1 of this series at Boston.
“I know in my heart we have a game that’s there,” Spoelstra said. “It’s just a matter of the ball going in a few more times, and all of a sudden it ignites.”
PFL rookie Biaggio Ali Walsh talks about ‘memorable’ Umrah experience in Makkah
- The fighter, grandson of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, says he feels great about performing Umrah and ‘it’s definitely something I want to be able to do again, with my family’
- Ali Walsh recorded a unanimous-decision victory over Emmanuel Palacio in his professional debut at the Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator: Champs event in Riyadh on Feb. 24
LONDON: Mixed martial arts fighter Biaggo Ali Walsh has revealed he recently performed Umrah at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
Following an impressive amateur career, the 25-year-old, grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, made his professional debut on Feb. 24 when he recorded an impressive unanimous-decision victory over Emmanuel Palacio at the Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator: Champs event in Riyadh.
A practicing Muslim, Ali Walsh said he has recently “got more in touch with his faith” and had looked forward to performing Umrah and going on a “sacred” journey when his career brought him to Saudi Arabia.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said when asked if he had felt excited about going to Makkah to perform Umrah. “It’s one of the five pillars of my faith.
“I was feeling a ton of excitement and was nervous as well; I heard the energy is incomparable and it definitely lived up to that.”
Ali Walsh said the pilgrimage had a profound and lasting effect on him: “The entire trip itself was very memorable. What an experience.”
He added that as he strives to further strengthen his faith, he hopes to perform Umrah again, this time with his loved ones.
“I feel great; it’s definitely something I want to be able to do again, with my family,” he said.
As he looks to build on his 1-0 professional record, Ali Walsh is in training for his next, yet-to-be announced test in the PFL SmartCage.
