We’ve already had accounts in the Times and the Telegraph about Chelsea’s civil war – now it’s the turn of Ben Jacobs, writing for Give Me Sport.
Jacobs is very well connected at Chelsea, and so we’re particularly interested in what he’s got to say. In most cases, it’s pretty clear to see which side of the divide is briefing the journalist in question, but in this case, Jacobs seems to be getting a bit from each camp.
The basics are already well established – the two main groups which constitute Chelsea’s ownership, headed by Todd Boehly on one side and Behdad Eghbali on the other, have fallen out. Both want to buy the other out, but neither want to sell.
That means deadlock, and a constant spray of toxic blame launched in both directions as each side try to win the affections of the fans and the media, and to portray themselves as the safer pair of hands to take over.
Chalobah travesty blamed on sporting directors
There’s all sorts of stuff in the piece about the mechanics of how a deal might work – we’re more interested in the football.
Jacobs backs the existing idea that Boehly wanted Mauricio Pochettino to stay, while Eghbali led the push for his sacking. That helped widen the rift.
When it comes to transfers, Eghbali is “obsessed with new signings”, while Boehly “would prefer to keep the squad size down and back Cobham talents.”
When it comes to the travesty of dumping fan favourite and last season’s best defender, Trevoh Chalobah, both parties are given equal share of the blame:
“The decision to sign Tosin and freeze out Chalobah, who is now on loan at Crystal Palace, was not made by Eghbali or Feliciano alone. It was a dispassionate call by both sporting directors and was signed off by Maresca, who spent a fortnight assessing Chalobah at Cobham.”
So, after all that, they’re all as bad as each other…
