Irish Examiner View: And then there were three in race to buy Chelsea

The successful bid for Chelsea FC will be chosen by Roman Abramovich and then forwarded to the British government. Picture: Rebecca Naden/PA Wire

And so, the multi-billion euro race to take over Chelsea Football Club enters the final furlongs, with three all-American frontrunners and not an Arab sovereign investment fund or a Russian to be seen.

A fourth candidate, linked to Chicago Cubs baseball team owners Tom and Laura Ricketts, has withdrawn, although not, they say, because of supporter group opposition to historic comments made by other members of their family that fans and previous players deemed to be either anti-Islamic or homophobic.

Chelsea fans stage a protest prior to the start of the Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Brentford, outside the Stamford Bridge stadium on Saturday, April 2. Picture: Ian Walton/AP.

So that leaves consortia with links to the Boston Celtics, the LA Dodgers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Toronto Raptors, and the NHL Maple Leafs. 

There are a number of complications with some of the bidders, who also have shares in Crystal Palace and Serie A side Atalanta, which would be forbidden under Premier League and Uefa rules that debar jointly owned teams facing each other in competition.

All the prospective owners are cash bidders who have committed not to load debt onto the club. This raises the grisly prospect for rival fans of Chelsea emerging next season in a stronger position than appeared to be their destiny when Vladimir Putin rolled his tanks forward, sparking anti-Russian sanctions everywhere.

The successful bid, not necessarily the highest one (although it will be the biggest takeover in sporting history), will be chosen by Roman Abramovich and then forwarded to the British government for its approval.

Ironically, as a new set of Americans emerge, one group of vocal supporters, at Manchester United, continue to vent their displeasure at another set of Stateside owners, the Glazer family.

Their black-clothed protestors, The 58 Group, complete with the now-obligatory flares, turned up at the training ground to barrack players while announcing plans for further demonstrations. 

It’s a year since the training ground was stormed following the announcement of United’s participation in the mooted European Super League, which was also the catalyst for a pitch invasion that led to a match against Liverpool being abandoned at the start of May last year.

Despite the febrile atmosphere, the always-optimistic Americans still seem keen to buy into the Premier League. 

Perhaps it is the increasing strength of support for the game, often generated by their country’s Hispanic population, which makes purchasing an elite club a sure-fire bet.