Chelsea ‘buy a stake in Ligue 1 side Strasbourg’ as owner Todd Boehly pursues a multi-club model 

Chelsea have bought a stake in Ligue 1 club Strasbourg as owner Todd Boehly looks to develop a multi-club model.

Earlier this year, reports came out with which Chelsea had started talks Strasbourg on a ‘full or partial takeover’ from the French side.

BlueCo, the parent owners of Chelsea, have confirmed the ‘strategic investment’ in Strasbourg which they say will create ‘huge opportunities’ for the clubs.

“We are honored to be part of this historic club,” BlueCo said in a statement.

“We are committed to preserving Racing’s heritage and are focused on working closely with Marc and his management team to continue the excellent work they have done.

“This strategic investment would strengthen our presence in European football alongside our ownership of Chelsea.

“We think there are tremendous opportunities to share knowledge and expertise.”

Reports have claimed the deal to buy the majority stake could be worth £65 million.

“This is an important day for Racing,” said Strasbourg president Marc Keller.

It’s something my shareholder friends and I have been thinking about for the past two years. We have built a club that is healthy and well run at every level.

“Although there was no financial urgency, we were aware that we had reached the ceiling of our model and if we wanted to continue to push Racing forward and project it into a new dimension, we necessarily had to be accompanied by a solid structure that was able to support our development and our ambition.

“I am therefore delighted at the prospect of welcoming a new strategic investor, with whom we would accelerate the club’s ambitions to build tomorrow’s racing.”

Co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly has been keen for some time on a multi-club model to rival their Premier League rivals Manchester City.

The Blues are expected to have bought a majority stake in Strasbourg worth a reported £65 million

City Football Group own 12 other clubs as part of their network, along with Manchester City.

The network includes France’s Troyes, Girona in Spain and Palermo in Italy, along with New York City FC in the United States and Melbourne City in Australia.

City Football Group also owns clubs in Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, China, India, Japan and Uruguay.

Boehly unveiled a plan in September to help the Blues develop their young players by loaning them out to member clubs.

“We talked about a multi-club model,” Boehly told the Salt Conference, “I would like to continue building out the footprint.

“I think the challenge Chelsea have now, or one of them, is that when you have 18-, 19-, 20-year-old superstars you can loan them to other clubs, but you put their development in someone’s hands otherwise. .

“For me the way to do that is through another club somewhere in a really competitive league in Europe.”

Strasbourg will reportedly ‘keep their identity’, with fans speaking out against the prospect of being bought by Chelsea.

The sale is expected to result in investment in the club’s infrastructure, including the stadium, training center and academy.

Strasbourg finished 15th in Ligue 1 last season, with Frederic Antonetti’s side finishing five points above the relegation zone.