Xabi Alonso hails 'important day' as Clearlake Capital take full control of Chelsea following Todd Boehly departure

Chelsea have officially entered a new chapter in their modern history following the news that Clearlake Capital has assumed full control of the club. Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, who each held a 12.83% stake, have completed the sale of their shares to the private equity firm. This move consolidates power under Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, with Clearlake expanding their previous 61.5% majority into a dominant position.

Addressing the media ahead of Chelsea's upcoming fixture against Brentford on Friday, Alonso was quick to acknowledge the magnitude of the structural change. 'I think it is an important day for the club when there is an important change in the structure of the club, new ownership,' Alonso told a news conference on Thursday.

Despite the often turbulent nature of the Boehly era, which began with a record-breaking £2.5 billion acquisition in 2022, Alonso was respectful of the foundation laid by the outgoing American investors. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss noted that while he was not present at the start of their tenure, he understood the effort required to stabilise the club following the sanctions placed on former owner Roman Abramovich.

Alonso offered his public appreciation for the work done behind the scenes, stating: 'Thanks to the former owners for what they have done. I was not here but I know that they played an important role. And now that Behdad [Eghbali] is taking more control, or almost full control, I think it is good that the main one is clear.'

Central to Alonso's optimism is his personal relationship with Eghbali, who has become an increasingly influential figure at the club's Cobham training base. The manager revealed that Eghbali was the driving force behind his decision to join the London club, travelling to Spain to present the long-term vision.

'I have a very good relationship with Behdad; he was the one who came to Madrid to explain the project to convince me and we are working well together,' Alonso explained. 'As I have mentioned, this is phase one we have completed in project of the squad. It is good and now we move on together.'

Away from the boardroom drama, Alonso provided a somewhat cryptic update regarding the fitness of Joao Pedro. The forward has been an integral part of Alonso's strong start to his debut campaign, contributing three goals and three assists in Chelsea's opening four Premier League fixtures. However, his recent withdrawal from the Brazil national squad due to an injury concern has sparked fears over his availability.

'In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad, we are having the last training session tomorrow so no one is ruled out for us for Friday so I prefer to be cautious and we will be waiting until tomorrow to make the final decision on every player,' he said.