'I'm reminded every day how stupid I am:' Todd Boehly blasts Chelsea critics

Suraj Radia

• 21 Nov 2025 12:01 CST
• 3 min read

News

Todd Boehly has brushed off criticism over his ownership of Chelsea in a rare interview where he took aim at the English media and claimed he is in the ‘entertainment business’ rather than the sports industry.

Bohely led a venture by Clearlake Capital to purchase Chelsea in 2022, which has led to a world-record spending spree of more than €2 billion on players and five different managers in three years.

With Chelsea having yet to reach the heights of their previous regime, Boehly has come under intense scrutiny for his approach to football but the American business man insisted that the critics ‘don’t know what they’re talking about’.

“The English papers remind me every day how smart they are and how stupid I am,” Boehly told the Australian Financial Review.

“Sometimes my wife and my family take it differently than I take it. I just find it’s one more person that doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

“You’re going to continue to watch our team evolve and grow. We’ve got them together for a long time. I’m pretty excited about what the future looks like.”

Boehly pushing for ‘global brand’ despite Chelsea’s commercial struggles

Boehly immediately caused a stir after his 2022 takeover by taking a hands-on approach to ownership despite his limited experience with football, with some reports claiming that he suggested a system with 12 players on the pitch in an early meeting at Chelsea.

The Blues have invested heavily in amortising transfers over long contracts in order to avoid breaching Premier League rules – a style which the club may have to amend after new regulations were voted on this week.

However, Chelsea’s spending has seen them fined by UEFA, who have different financial rules to the Premier League, while there has also been criticism over the club’s failure on a commercial front, such as with their front-of-shirt sponsors.

Boehly admitted that winning was the only barometer of success for his methods and revealed Chelsea’s plan was continue expanding the reach of their brand to a wider audience.

“We’re trying to grow a global fan base. If your fan base is continuing to grow all around the world that should lead it to naturally believe that your revenue is going to continue to grow,” Boehly said.

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