After taking back the ownership of English Premier League (EPL) side Chelsea from Russia’s Roman Abramovich, four bids have surfaced to become the next owner of the football franchise, with NBA team ‘Boston Centix’ co-owner Steve Pagluka being named Is. Pagluka on Tuesday confirmed his plans to own the Premier League team for the first time. For this, however, he will have to relinquish his 55 per cent stake in Serie A team Atlanta.
According to the rules of UEFA, no one can hold a stake in two clubs under it. “At the end of this week, we will present an adequate and credible bid offer,” Pagluka said. A Premier League will meet the relevant requirements and regulations of the British Government and UEFA. Also in the race are ‘Chicago Cubs’ baseball owner Tom Ricketts, as well as American investors Josh Harris and Todd Boehley.
The Harris-led consortium also includes Martin Broughton, former chairman of Liverpool and British Airways, and Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics. The consortium, led by Todd, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, consists of Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss and London-based investor Jonathan Goldstein. Abramovich was banned by Britain after Russia attacked Ukraine. During his ownership, the team won 21 trophies in 19 years.