Chelsea co-owner drops shock Stamford Bridge bombshell

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly warned that the investment group which owns the Premier League club could "go different ways" if they fail to agree on the future plans for the stadium.

The west London outfit have played at Stamford Bridge since the club was founded in 1905 with the express intention of occupying the ground - Fulham had already rejected the offer to move away from Craven Cottage.

There have been various attempts to relocate over the subsequent 120 years, but planning permission and available real estate have been increasingly difficult to find given the team's location in such a densely populated area of the city.

Boehly and his fellow co-owners Clearlake Capital reportedly held talks earlier this season to open a new stadium in Earl's Court after complications in developing the existing cite emerged. This news broke at the same time as reports of a "power struggle" between Boehly and Clearlake Capital's head Behdad Eghbali.

The US investor was keen to downplay what has been billed as a "civil war", but did reveal that the club's future home could decide how long the partnership will continue to exist. "We have to think long-term about what we're trying to accomplish," Boehly told Bloomberg. "We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out.

"I think that's going to be where we're either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways. But what's been written and talked about is much more 'drama' than what is actually happening.

"Obviously, inside of London, it's really complex. It's not as if we're building something in the middle of a rural environment. We have a lot of constituencies to make sure that we care about. Certainly, the Chelsea fanbase is one. Long-term, we're going to be building something new and we'll figure it out."

Boehly, whose consortium owners 38.5% of the club, went on to stress that he is no rush to split with Clearlake Capital - which boasts the majority of Chelsea's shares. "The status quo is something that's just fine," he insisted.

"We've learned from each other and we're going to be able to work it out any which way. If you look at the evolution of the team, we've been aligned on what we’re trying to do and what we're trying to build.

"It's a team that's young, it's a team that's got long contracts. All these things were new. In order to do all these things we've done, it's because we're aligned. We're executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where it belongs. We're sitting in the top four of the table."

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