Six contenders (more or less) and five story lines (plus a few extra) as the new season kicks off with everyone chasing Manchester City (again).
Tag Archives: Chelsea (Soccer Team)
Chelsea F.C. Shaken by Concerns, Complaints and a Suicide
When Chelsea’s new owners paid billions for the Premier League club, they also inherited accusations of a toxic culture inside its offices.
Inside the Chelsea Sale: Deep Pockets, Private Promises and Side Deals
Britain’s government has cleared the sale of the Premier League soccer team. But to win approval, the new owners had to agree to a set of unusual conditions.
Group Led by American Will Buy Chelsea F.C., the Team Says
Todd Boehly, a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, leads a new ownership group that is set to buy the club from Roman Abramovich, a Russian oil oligarch, for more than $3 billion.
British Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe Bids $5.3 Billion for Chelsea F.C.
The late offer for the Premier League soccer club by Ratcliffe, the chief executive of Ineos, would be the highest price ever paid for a sports team.
Endgame Nears in Bidding for Chelsea F.C.
The American bank selling the English soccer team on behalf of its Russian owner could name its preferred suitor by the end of the week. But the drama isn’t over.
Karim Benzema Carries Real Madrid Over Chelsea
Three goals confirm what should have been obvious long ago: Benzema is Real Madrid’s brain, and its heart.
Sanctioned Oligarch’s Presence Adds Intrigue to Ukraine-Russia Talks
Roman Abramovich, sanctioned owner of the Chelsea Football Club, mysteriously showed up at the talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, and is said to be playing an unofficial role.
How Roman Abramovich Used Shell Companies and Wall Street Ties to Invest in the U.S.
Using a network of banks, law firms and advisers in multiple countries, Roman Abramovich invested billions in American hedge funds.
Chelsea Beats Newcastle, Taking Its First Steps Into the Unknown
Locked shops and rivals’ taunts greeted fans at Chelsea’s first home game since sanctions against Roman Abramovich cast their team’s future in doubt.
How Roman Abramovich, a Russian Oligarch, Found Himself Under Sanctions
The oligarch’s billions and his Kremlin connections secured him favors and elite status in the West. Now they’ve landed him on a sanctions list.
Roman Abramovich and the End of Soccer’s Oligarch Era
Stripped of its Russian benefactor, Chelsea now faces a reckoning. Soccer’s will come next.
Roman Abramovich, Owner of Chelsea FC, Has Assets Frozen By Britain
The Premier League club will be allowed to continue operating, but it cannot sell tickets or merchandise and is blocked from buying or selling players.
Chelsea Is for Sale as Pressure on Roman Abramovich Mounts
As British lawmakers take aim at wealthy Russians, Roman Abramovich is fielding offers for the Premier League team. The suitors include a Swiss billionaire and a Los Angeles Dodgers owner.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Competing With Perfection
Pep Guardiola’s ideas and his teams have changed the way England views the game. The danger is that those changes affect perceptions of what qualifies as success.
Soccer’s Problem With Silver Medals
It was notable when Spain’s players kept their runner-up awards after losing a final. It shouldn’t be.
Marcos Alonso, Chelsea and the Genius of Thomas Tuchel
There is no such thing as a good or a bad player, only one in the right (or wrong) system.
Chelsea Proves a Point While Collecting One at Liverpool
A red card put Chelsea to the test, but a draw won with control, composure and calm felt like much more.
Chelsea’s Champions League Secret: N’Golo Kanté
Every coach has a plan. But players still decide games, and only Chelsea has Kanté. In the Champions League final, that made all the difference.
Pep Guardiola and the Ones That Got Away
One of soccer’s most successful coaches hasn’t been to the Champions League final in a decade. But as Manchester City meets Chelsea, he has a chance to reclaim the trophy he values most.
Revisiting Ilkay Gundogan
The Manchester City midfielder is a rare player in the Champions League final: one with experience in the game. He wants to know what it feels like to win.
Champions League Final: The Rich Get Richer
Seismic shocks to European soccer’s landscape have turned Saturday’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea into a sign of things to come.
Juventus Finds Its Fall Guy in Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo was given a difficult task and failed at it. But if Juventus misses out on next season’s Champions League, it won’t be entirely his fault.
A Barcelona Star on Style, Substance and Another Champions League Final
Lieke Martens and Barcelona will face Chelsea on Sunday. Both have their sights set on raising the standard for success in the women’s game.
Champions League Final Is Moving to Porto, Portugal
Istanbul is in lockdown and England wouldn’t bend on travel restrictions, so European soccer’s governing body will take its showcase game to Porto, Portugal.
Champions League Final: Meeting Set on Move to London
UEFA officials and the British government will discuss shifting the Manchester City-Chelsea game from Istanbul to Wembley to sidestep coronavirus travel restrictions.
As Women’s Soccer Grows, So Does Its Competitive Divide
The success of a handful of top women’s teams is a testament to their clubs’ commitment. But a growing competitive divide should be addressed before it’s too late.
Champions League: Deep Pockets, Deep Benches, English Winners
Manchester City and Chelsea seal an all-Premier League final thanks in part to resources and rosters that no club, not even their biggest rivals, can match.
When the Goals Come Out of Nowhere
A Greek striker is one of the top scorers in Europe, and his play has caught the eye of big clubs. But are his goals a product of his talent, or his environment?
At Real Madrid, the Champions League Can Still Slip Away
A history of Champions League success is part of the fabric at Real Madrid. No club has won it more often. But rivals keep driving up the price.
What Happened to Europe’s Soccer Super League?
A timeline of the Super League, which was designed to reshape European soccer and instead rained only grief on its 12 clubs in the two days before it imploded.
A Super League Plan, but No One to Defend It
The organizers of a European soccer league didn’t believe in their idea enough to defend it.
Europe’s Super League Plan on Brink of Collapse
Chelsea and Manchester City are said to reverse course, imperiling a project that would have remade world soccer.
The Premier League Race Is Over. The Champions League Lottery Is Here.
Everyone knows who will win the Premier League. Most can guess who will be relegated. All of the drama is in the race for a spot in the Champions League.
Is There a Way Back for a Forgotten Soccer Star?
For some stars, the path to China’s Super League was paved with riches. But as the country’s soccer fever cools, is there a way back to Europe for the best of them?
Champions League Schedule Blurs Home and Away
Coronavirus restrictions have sent multiple games to neutral sites. Will this summer’s European Championship be the next big event to reschedule?
Luis Suárez Rediscovers His Bite
After a summer of indignity and humiliation, the striker has been reborn with Atlético Madrid.
Timo Werner, Chelsea and Numbers That Lie
Strikers are paid to score goals. The more the better. But can a lack of them distort the full picture of a player?
Newcastle, Leeds and the Importance of Being … Something
Wandering about without a plan inspires neither affection nor success. So why do so many clubs still do it?
For Frank Lampard and Chelsea, an Encore Without the Cheers
Chelsea’s fans wanted Lampard to succeed. Chelsea’s hierarchy did, too. But the player you were and the manager you become are not related.
With Man City Positives, Premier League’s Coronavirus Outbreak Widens
As the coronavirus invades locker rooms and postpones matches, soccer needs to face up to a potential worst-case scenario.
Petr Cech Is Still Saving Chelsea, This Time in New Role
For the recently retired goalkeeper, a role as Chelsea’s technical director is appealing because of how different it is from playing.
Black Goalkeepers and Europe’s Uneven Playing Field
Chelsea’s recent match against Rennes in the Champions League was a rare meeting of Black goalkeepers on club soccer’s biggest stage. The hard question is: Why?
Chelsea’s Meticulously Planned Summer of Shock and Awe
The Blues have spent more than $260 million on new players, with the promise of more to come. But this is no random spree.
The Fluid Morality of Soccer’s Transfer Market
Only a few months ago, as Europe’s biggest clubs faced suspended seasons and financial ruin, owners pressed their players to take pay cuts. So why are they now spending as if nothing has changed?
We Know Little About David Silva. That’s How He Wanted It.
The glowing testimonies to the Manchester City playmaker as he departs the Premier League have focused on his play, not his personality. That was by design.
Premier League: Aston Villa Stays Up; United and Chelsea Return to Champions League
A remarkable year in England ended with Aston Villa saved, Watford and Bournemouth relegated and the big clubs pretty much where everyone expected them to be.