The battle for the Bridge intensifies! Chelsea fan and Cobra Beer founder Karan Bilimoria joins Ricketts family bid... while Boston Celtics chief Steve Pagliuca promises to 'cherish and preserve' the club's traditions

  • The fight for Chelsea football club has heated up ahead of Thursday's deadline
  • Steve Pagliuca broke his silence on his intention to buy the Premier League side
  • The Boston Celtics co-owner is now one of four bidders looking to buy the club 
  • Pagliuca has declared that he will 'cherish' Chelsea if his bid is successful 
  • Meanwhile, the Ricketts group announced Karan Bilimoria had joined their bid 

The fight for hearts and minds ahead of the Chelsea takeover has escalated with significant moves from two of the four bidders in the space of 24 hours.

On Thursday, the quartet will submit their final offers, but shortly ahead of the key date the PR battle accelerated.

First, Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca broke his silence with an impassioned public statement in which he pledged to redevelop Stamford Bridge, 'cherish and preserve' the club's traditions and ensure they are 'habitual winners and title contenders'.

Boston Celtics chief Steve Pagliuca broke his silence over his intention to buy Chelsea FC

Boston Celtics chief Steve Pagliuca broke his silence over his intention to buy Chelsea FC

Moments later the Ricketts group - whose bid has been maligned by accusations of Islamophobia against patriarch Joe, announced Cobra Beer founder and long-time Chelsea fan Lord Karan Bilimoria had joined their bid to buy the club, which has been for sale since sanctions were placed on owner Roman Abramovich following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Americans, who own baseball's Chicago Cubs, said Bilimoria - who is the founding chairman of the UK India Business Council and chair of a group which aims to increase diversity across business - would take a seat on the board should they be successful.

All four bidders looking to buy Chelsea say their offers will be entirely funded by cash

Pagliuca has declared that he will 'cherish and preserve' Chelsea if his bid is successful

Three years ago Joe Ricketts apologised following the release of a number of emails from which contained anti-Islam comments. Bilimoria, who was the first Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords as an independent crossbench peer, said: 'I founded Cobra Beer just down the road from Stamford Bridge and have been a season ticket holder for many years.

'So, when Tom Ricketts approached me to discuss a leading role in his bid group, there was no way I could refuse.'

In a lengthy statement Pagliuca, a private equity billionaire, outlined his vision.

He said: 'Our first focus and goal is to make strategic investments to continue competing for championships and trophies. We will support our players and managers to make sure that Chelsea are habitual winners and title contenders, whether in the Premier League, Champions League or the Women's Super League [the only Super League we intend competing in, for the record]. 

Meanwhile, the Ricketts group (Tom Ricketts pictured above) announced Cobra Beer founder and Chelsea fan Karan Karan Bilimoria had joined their bid

Meanwhile, the Ricketts group (Tom Ricketts pictured above) announced Cobra Beer founder and Chelsea fan Karan Karan Bilimoria had joined their bid

'In addition, we will continue to invest in the youth academy to develop the stars of the future and we would not be in this process if we did not have an exciting and inclusive vision for Chelsea.' Pagliuca added that his group would continue to 'cherish and preserve the legacy and traditions of the club' and 'have a significant positive impact in the community'.

He and a group of co-investors recently bought a controlling stake in Serie A side Atalanta, which could cause complications if the Italians and Chelsea ever appear in the same European club competition given UEFA rules.

However, Pagliuca hinted at a sale of that stake in the statement, saying he expected the Chelsea bid to 'meet the respective requirements and regulations of the Premier League, UK Government and UEFA.' 

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