Ricketts family need to get fans' support

LONDON • The Ricketts family have been included on the shortlist to buy English Premier League club Chelsea, a source close to the deal told Reuters on Friday, joining groups led by former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton and Eldridge Industries chief executive Todd Boehly as the other two bids in the fray.

American merchant bank, The Raine Group, which is overseeing the sale, is still considering adding more to the shortlist, with British media reporting that Stephen Pagliuca, the joint owner of National Basketball Association team Boston Celtics and co-chairman of Bain Capital, was in the running.

Earlier on Friday, the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) said the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball side - had to demonstrate how they would address supporter concerns with regard to inclusivity, after a backlash over derogatory comments made by patriarch and TD Ameritrade founder Joe against Muslims in 2019.

The family recently declared "diversity is central to our values" in response to the criticism and also met supporters earlier this week.

But CST wants the group to show more sincerity, saying: "They must do so publicly and they must do so urgently. If they are unable to... gain the confidence of Chelsea supporters, the CST board does not believe it would be in the best interests of our members and Chelsea supporters for their bid to succeed."

Joe's son, Tom, who is fronting the bid, told Reuters that they had listened to the feedback, including from CST, and were grateful that the door was still open to them to demonstrate their commitment to working with fans.

"It's clear you have nothing but the best interests of the club at heart," he said. "It is now up to us to redouble our efforts and clearly lay out a vision for our stewardship of the club with diversity and inclusion at its heart."

British Airways chairman Broughton, whose group includes World Athletics president Sebastian Coe and wealthy investors from around the world, has said his consortium has the club's best interests in mind.

The interested parties are turning to fans and local politicians in order to gain an advantage in the shortlist process.

Supporters' approval for the new ownership will be a source of comfort for the British government, which recently commissioned the report by former sports minister Tracey Crouch in which she recommended that fans have a bigger say in key decisions.

"Multiple bidders have been in touch," she said. "This is an unprecedented situation where potential bidders for a football team have engaged with fans or considering how fans can be involved."

Boehly's group intends to meet Greg Hands, a Minister of State and the Conservative Party MP for Chelsea and Fulham constituency, as well as officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Labour Party lawmakers, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The sale of the club that has been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich since 2003 is offering a rare chance to buy a prized asset in Europe's richest football league.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS