Stephen Pagliuca has broken his silence on his bid to buy Chelsea.
The co-owner of the NBA’s Boston Celtics and Serie A side Atalanta says he will make a “significant and credible” offer for the European champions ahead of Thursday’s deadline. And he has vowed to keep the trophies rolling in if he wins the race to buy out Roman Abramovich.
The American billionaire has been silent since being shortlisted by US bank Raine Group alongside the Ricketts family, Toddy Boehly and Sir Martin Broughton.
But he has now declared his intentions, revealing:
- He will redevelop Stamford Bridge into a “world-class stadium”.
- He will financially back the first team to ensure they remain in contention for the biggest trophies.
- That under his ownership, Chelsea would not be part of any plans to resurrect the European Super League.
He also vowed never to damage the heritage of the club. Pagliuca was a surprise inclusion in Raine’s list of preferred bidders, with his interest largely kept a secret.
He explained: “This process has been a disconcerting time for the football club and fans. Throughout my life and career, my ethos has always been to operate quietly, with integrity, and let my actions and results speak loudly.
“However, it is imperative to clarify and assure supporters about our bid group and its commitments, to emphasise how seriously we take our potential responsibility to Chelsea.
“Ultimately, fans will see our commitment and, we hope, trust us to stay true to our values on and off the pitch. We understand the responsibilities that come with such an important sporting institution and hold ourselves accountable to the fans.
“Later this week, we will submit a substantial and credible bid proposal – one that we expect will meet the respective requirements and regulations of the Premier League, UK Government and UEFA – and we pledge to honor our commitment to credibility and good guardianship of Chelsea Football Club from day one.”
Pagliuca confirmed his commitment to keep Chelsea at the top of European football, adding: “Our first focus and goal is to make strategic investments to continue competing for championships and trophies.
“We will support our players and managers to make sure that Chelsea are habitual winners and title contenders, whether in the Premier League, Champions League or the Women’s Super League [the only Super League we intend competing in, for the record]. In addition, we will continue to invest in the youth academy to develop the stars of the future and we would not be in this process if we did not have an exciting and inclusive vision for Chelsea.
“Our second focus will be to continue to cherish and preserve the legacy and traditions of the club. In over 20 years of ownership of the Boston Celtics, we have not once considered changing the name, colours, or logo of the club. This is our guarantee to Chelsea fans.
“Not only are we committed to remaining at the home of Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, but we are inspired to renovate or redevelop the stadium. Chelsea is a world-class team, in a world-class city, with world-class fans: it deserves a world-class stadium.”
Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) revealed last week that Pagliuca was the only bidder not to reach out to them during the takeover process. Pagliuca insists he will run an inclusive club if successful in his bid.
He said: “We believe passionately that clubs have a social responsibility, and we will continue to support The Chelsea Foundation and its impressive work in education, health and wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion both locally and globally.
“Chelsea should be the Pride of London for its on and off-field accomplishments. It has fans all over the world and we will not tolerate bullying, anti-semitism, racism, or any other form of hateful speech - and neither should our fans.”
