The Premier League is taking a break this week as International fixtures take centre stage, but Thursday brought with it some great news for Chelsea supporters.
The West London club has been in some turmoil since the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich, who is unable to move money at all, and that meant no new ticket sales.
The recent Premier League 2022 news has been dominated by this saga and it’s been pretty gloomy stuff for Blues fans. Only season ticket holders have been able to watch games and the sanctions meant there was a huge possibility that cup games would have to be played behind closed doors.
Chelsea have been going well on the pitch, reaching the FA Cup semi-final and the Champions League quarter-final. And on Thursday, the UK government opened the door for fans to buy tickets again which is a massive boost, and exactly the news head coach Thomas Tuchel has been so keen to hear.
The Stamford Bridge club’s license has been adjusted to allow fans to buy tickets for away games and cup matches, including the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace on the weekend of April 16th and 17th, and maybe even the upcoming Champions League clash against Real Madrid scheduled for 6th April.
Ticket revenue will go to the competition organisers or the home club in the case of league games, while Chelsea’s home Premier League games will still be season-ticket- only for home fans.
Takeover tussle gathers pace
While that’s all good news for Chelsea, there is still a cloud of uncertainty overshadowing the club which is still without owners and that casts doubt over the future of Tuchel and some of his players.
The Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, were frontrunners and they had further talks in London on Monday.
The club hopes the ownership will switch within a month and stability can be restored, but there is some opposition to the Ricketts family from fans’ groups who have expressed concern over their running of the Cubs. But the Ricketts family are backed by billionaire investor Ken Griffin, the biggest hitter in the bidding war.
Competition is coming from another US-based group led by LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly, while there is a UK competitor in the shape of Nick Candy’s Blue Football Consortium which is in the process of providing proof of additional funds to back up a £2-B bid.
Erik ten Hag talks to Manchester United
Manchester United fans were hoping that the turmoil at Stamford Bridge would prompt their own American owners to break the bank and go for the services of Tuchel as the Red Devils’ next permanent head coach.
But with a takeover at Chelsea inching ever closer, the German tactician could well be tempted to stay put in West London where the project is further advanced than at Old Trafford.
Despite spending as lavishly as the league’s top three teams over the past decade – £1.55-B compared with Chelsea’s £1.63-B, Manchester City’s £1.68-B, and Liverpool’s £1-B – the Red Devils last won a trophy in 2017 while the other three have been collecting silverware year on year.
The latest Premier League 2022 betting odds say a top four place is becoming increasingly unlikely for the Red Devils and they need a head coach who can restore some pride. The latest front runner to take over from interim boss Ralf Rangnick is Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, who had talks with the club this week.
He’s long been admired by Old Trafford bosses and they might be tempted to make a move before the summer as ten Hag has a year left on his contract in Amsterdam where he has coached since 2017.
Ajax are in a two-way battle for the 2022 Dutch Eredivisie – two points ahead of PSV Eindhoven and well clear of the field with seven games to play – and another league title would be a good way for the 52-year-old to bow out and make his next move.
He faces competition from PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino who may be heading for the exit door in Paris after his side exited the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage.
United fans hope their club can still attract big names to bring more excitement in the way Cristiano Ronaldo did when he returned to the club at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
CR7’s homecoming hasn’t always had the hoped for effect on his teammates, but Ronaldo’s spectacular hat-trick against Tottenham reminded the UK public just how good he still is. And a top drawer manager is surely the next step.
The title race, top four chase, and relegation battles are all heating up and here at SBOTOP we’ll be back with all the action when it restarts again on 2nd April, when Chelsea host neighbours Brentford and Manchester United are at home to Leicester City. Both clubs are hoping for a period of stability. But in nine days time, another three points will do just fine.
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