Chelsea owner Todd Boehly rallied the troops at the weekend, with one insider declaring, 'the whole thing was weird'
(Image credit: GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly addressed the squad in the aftermath of their defeat to Brighton on Saturday, in a bid to raise morale ahead of the Champions League this week.
But according to the Telegraph, one insider described the pep talk from the US owner – in which he described the Blues season as “embarrassing” – as backfiring, declaring, “the whole thing was weird”.
Things went from bad to worse for the misfiring west Londoners at the weekend, as they let a 1-0 lead slip and Frank Lampard lost a third match in a row. Boehly himself was blasted by Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge – so took it upon himself to speak directly with the players after the defeat.
Todd Boehly speaks to fans, as Brighton and Hove Albion complete a double over Chelsea (Image credit: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Boehly reportedly waited for Lampard to finish speaking with his squad – many of whom have arrived in a near-£600 million splurge in the last 12 months – before addressing the players alongside his fellow board members, Behdad Eghbali and Hansjorg Wyss.
“It is understood that one senior player, signed for a large fee in the past 12 months, was singled out for heavy criticism,” the Guardian says. “That player, whose identity is not being disclosed, is believed to be disillusioned with the situation and cut a disgruntled figure in training before Chelsea attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Madrid.”
Captain Kepa Arrizabalaga, however, stressed that the incident was in keeping with Boehly's behaviour.
“Todd comes to the changing room in every game,” the Spanish goalkeeper said. “He had different chats with us after different games. I am not going to say what he said. It is normal when he came.”
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Chelsea have lost three matches in a row under Frank Lampard (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
The Guardian adds that virtually every player in the Chelsea squad is up for sale this summer, following a disastrous season.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
