Governing Bodies
Factbox: List of confirmed bidders to buy Chelsea
Following is a list of confirmed bidders that have announced they will seek to buy English soccer club Chelsea after Russian team owner Roman Abramovich was hit by UK government sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
NICK CANDY, HANA FINANCIAL INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED AND C&P SPORTS LIMITED
South Korea companies Hana Financial Investment Company Limited and C&P Sports Limited have joined forces with British Property developer Nick Candy to make a bid for Chelsea.
Candy, a lifelong Chelsea fan, has also been joined by former Blues player and manager Gianluca Vialli as he prepares his bid.
Sky News reported that a central part of Candy’s pitch to buy Chelsea was the proposal to offer a seat on the board to fans and he was in talks with financiers about them joining his bid ahead of a deadline for offers at the end of the week.
He will also offer short-term funding if Chelsea face a cash crunch, the report added.
Hana Financial Group is the title sponsor of the Korean Football League and the national soccer team.
C&P Sports has worked on commercial deals with several big clubs in the last 10 years, such as Kumhos Tyres with Tottenham Hotspur, Nexen Tyre with Manchester City and Hyundai Motors with Atletico Madrid.
AETHEL PARTNERS
London-based financial firm Aethel Partners said they have put in a bid of over two billion pounds for Chelsea, adding that they will provide the club with an immediate sum of 50 million pounds to deal with any short-term financial issues.
Aethel Partners was established in 2014. It was founded by Ricardo Santos Silva, former deputy president of hedge fund Lyxor Asset Management, and Aba Rosa Schubert, who was previously a partner at Eton Park Capital Management, a hedge fund.
MARTIN BROUGHTON AND SEBASTIAN COE
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has joined a consortium including former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton that hopes to buy Chelsea.
“I am certain Sir Martin is the right man to lead Chelsea Football Club into its next chapter,” Coe said in a statement to British media. read more
Broughton is the deputy chairman of International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways and Iberia.
THE RICKETTS FAMILY AND KEN GRIFFIN
The owners of U.S. baseball team the Chicago Cubs, the Ricketts family, have teamed up with Citadel founder Ken Griffin to work on a bid to buy Chelsea, a spokesperson for Griffin said. read more
The Ricketts family expressed interest in acquiring a controlling stake in Italian club AC Milan in 2018.
They have formed an investment group which is set to make a formal offer for the London club on Friday.
Reuters has been told the bid does not involve Citadel, the hedge fund business, only Griffin.
HANSJOERG WYSS AND TODD BOEHLY
Swiss billionaire Hansjoerg Wyss, who had expressed interest in purchasing Chelsea along with LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, told Swiss newspaper Blick that he remained interested in a deal. read more
Wyss, 86, made a large share of his fortune by selling med-tech company Synthes Holding AG to Johnson & Johnson in 2012 for nearly $20 billion.
Boehly previously considered making a takeover offer for Tottenham Hotspur in 2014 through Cain Hoy Enterprises, a U.S. private investment company, of which he is one of the founders.
Conservative peer Daniel Finkelstein said he was also a part of the bid.
“I’m passionate about Chelsea to the point of eccentricity,” Finkelstein wrote on Twitter. “I want owners who will invest but are also insightful and use modern methods to keep our club on top of the world.”
($1 = 0.7593 pounds)
-Reuters
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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