Chelsea's stadium saga has taken a new twist as co-owners Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss have publicly revealed starkly different timelines and perspectives on the club's future home.
While Boehly recently suggested fans might need to wait until 2042 before moving from Stamford Bridge, his fellow co-owner Wyss has expressed frustration at the lack of progress.
The Swiss billionaire, who has largely remained out of the public eye since the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly consortium purchased the club from Roman Abramovich nearly three years ago, broke his silence after Sunday's 3-1 win over Liverpool.
His comments have exposed apparent divisions in the Chelsea boardroom over the stadium's future.
Chelsea's stadium plans have caused concern among the fanbase
PA
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Boehly revealed the extended timeline for Chelsea's stadium plans.
"When we originally bought the club we agreed initially that we had 15 or 20 years to figure this out," he told Bloomberg.
Boehly acknowledged the complexity of building in London, noting there are "a lot of constituencies that have an opinion."
He emphasised that fans remain the "number one constituency" in their considerations.
"I think everyone recognises that a club as big as Chelsea should have a stadium that reflects the size of the club and ultimately that's going to be a strategic advantage," Boehly added.
He indicated that discussions about the stadium's future would take place at the season's conclusion.
In stark contrast, Wyss painted a picture of stalled progress and leadership vacuum when speaking outside Stamford Bridge.
"If it's going to happen, I don't know. It's a lot of obstacles. Right now we don't have one person who drives that project, that's what we need," he said honestly.
The 89-year-old billionaire expressed concern about the lack of decisive leadership in board meetings.
"The meetings, the directors meetings that I saw, we don't have one person who said 'I'm going to make it happen [or], it's not going to happen'," Wyss revealed.
His comments suggest significant disagreement among Chelsea's ownership group regarding the stadium's future.
Chelsea fans might have to wait nearly two decades for changes to Stamford Bridge
PA
Chelsea face two broad options for their stadium future: either demolish and rebuild Stamford Bridge, or relocate to a new site.
Both paths present significant challenges, with land availability being a major hurdle for any potential move.
Any stadium decision must be approved by the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) through a vote requiring a high majority.
This same obstacle prevented Roman Abramovich from relocating the club in 2011 when Battersea Power Station blueprints were drawn up.
Earl's Court has been mentioned as a potential location, though those in position to make decisions have stated there are no existing plans to accommodate a football stadium there.
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US billionaire Todd Boehly was part of a consortium that purchased Chelsea in May 2022PAJason Gannon, the club's president and chief operating officer, is currently leading the stadium work according to sources.
However, no proposals have yet been formulated or sent to the CPO for consideration.
Wyss's comments suggest he believes not enough is being done to advance the project.
The stadium issue appears to have created a boardroom divide within the ownership group.
Boehly previously acknowledged this tension, saying: "We have to think about long-term, what we're trying to accomplish. That's going to be where we are either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways."
Despite the ambitious promises made when Clearlake-Boehly acquired Chelsea, a resolution to the stadium dilemma appears far from imminent.
