Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly says players have too many games
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Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly believes that players' injuries are increasing because of the tight football calendar.
PHOTO: AFP
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DOHA – Todd Boehly, who is the co-owner of English Premier League club Chelsea, expressed concern about the football calendar by saying that players’ injuries are increasing.
The situation is nothing new, but the American is the latest to comment on the difficulties that clubs and players face.
“The challenge we really have is how many matches these guys are playing,” he said on May 20 in Doha at the Qatar Economic Forum. “The calendar’s really tight and they put in so much effort and energy, and the injuries are continuing to go up and up and up.
“We’re going to have to revisit what the calendar looks like and how much football they can actually play.”
Chelsea will be travelling to the United States for the newly expanded Club World Cup from June 14 to July 13.
The Club World Cup, organised by Fifa, has been criticised by players’ representatives, who have also voiced concern about injuries.
The tournament’s prize money is set at US$1 billion (S$1.29 billion) and the Blues will get a share of that for competing, but player welfare is a major worry.
In the past, organisations such as Uefa, the European organiser of competitions such as the Champions League, has broached the possibility of scrapping the League Cup in England, or at least exempting top teams to reduce their fixtures.
Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League with one game to go this season. They are aiming for a top-five spot, which would give the club a financial boost because it would mean a place in the Champions League in 2025-26.
Boehly, who was part of a consortium that took over Chelsea from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2022, said overseeing the club was both fun and a headache.
“If people didn’t care it would stink, so it’s a testament to how much the sport matters,” he said. “To be part of that is a privilege.”
He was asked whether he wanted to increase his role at Chelsea, following a couple of seasons in which he has stepped back from pole position, with one of his co-owners, Behdad Eghbali, becoming more prominent.
“My role? I think chairman’s a pretty good one,” Boehly said.
He also felt that Chelsea, who are grappling with a redevelopment of the 40,000-capacity Stamford Bridge in west London, needed a 65,000-seater stadium to compete with rivals.
Manchester United recently announced plans for a 100,000-capacity stadium. BLOOMBERG
