Liverpool knows all about Chelsea co-owner chaos amid Todd Boehly civil war at Stamford Bridge
Liverpool knows all about Chelsea's co-owner chaos as Todd Boehly's civil war unfolds at Stamford Bridge.
There is reportedly a power struggle among the clubs ownership group and now American businessman Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, of Clearlake Capital, who took over from Roman Abramovic in July 2022, are now looking to buy one another out.
While chaos has ensued on the pitch in terms of 12th and sixth-placed finishes, six managers and a eye-watering spend of around $1.4billion (£1.1bn/€1.3bn) on transfers, of which Chelsea now finds itself with 42 first-team players, a nasty end is looking likely for all parties involved.
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And while all that is unfolding in west London, Liverpool fans can almost certainly watch on and laugh - although it's not been too long since something very similar happened on Merseyside prior to Fenway Sports Group's (FSG) takeover.
George Gillett and Tom Hicks aren't two names likely to be mentioned much around Anfield these days but they too once found themselves in the middle of a power struggle lasting three years. Having come together for a takeover in 2007, things quickly turned sour.
Gillett, despite being a millionaire, required someone with even deeper pockets to help him complete the takeover and Hicks ticked the boxes, with the pair having worked together before after they put money into a meat-packing company.
But because Hicks was last to the party, Gillett felt he should be the one to answer the first questions in their opening press conference, an anonymous club official present at the time told The Athletic. However, Hicks was having none of it and stamped his authority by saying “I’ll go first".
Just a few months down the line and Liverpool's new co-owners were no longer on speaking terms, and it became a feud that would last for three agonizing years before a High Court ruling led to another sale, this time to FSG.
But it was just an early example of how co-ownerships very rarely work in the Premier League. Money is the ultimate factor in takeovers, but having the power to make the big decisions is also something owners want, yet having more than one of those means decisions must be split.
For the majority, this isn't something they want to do, hence the ensuing civil wars that take place among them until one of them leaves or new owners come in entirely. It happened in 2010 at Liverpool and now it's happening 14 years later at Chelsea.
Despite being introduced to Liverpool by Gillett, Hicks always tended to come first when their names were mentioned in tandem, and while Boehly appeared to be the face of the club following Chelsea's takeover two years ago, it is now Eghbali who has taken charge.
Perhaps the one crucial factor is the shares held in both clubs. Each partner at Liverpool had an equal number of shares, therefore leading to a lack of understanding between the pair about who was really in charge at the club.
In Chelsea's case, there is a major difference. Boehly's stake is less than 13 per cent, with Clearlake's standing at a far greater 61.5 per cent. Now the two are understood to be willing to buy each other out in order to gain total control of proceedings.