Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has positioned himself to participate in the purchase of English club Chelsea, put up for sale by its Russian owner Roman Abramovich, the driver announced on Friday.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest teams in the world and one of the most successful. When I heard about this opportunity I said to myself: ‘It’s one of the best opportunities to be part of something so big'”, explained the pilot , on the sidelines of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix that will take place this weekend in Italy.
Lewis Hamilton and US tennis player Serena Williams could each invest around 10 million pounds ($13 million) in the team as part of a purchase project led by former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton. The pilot has not confirmed the amount.
He and Williams, explains the driver, “were contacted by Broughton who explained their goals and those of the team if they managed to win the bidding contest. It was incredibly exciting, and everything is in line with my values,” said Hamilton, an Arsenal fan. Chelsea’s rival.
“When I was five or six years old I became an Arsenal fan but my uncle Terry is a big fan of the ‘Blues’, and I have gone to numerous games with him to see Arsenal and Chelsea play,” he justified.
Although the premier category of motorsports has made Hamilton one of the most important athletes of his generation, the pilot declares himself a “football fan since I was a child”, having played “from my 4 to my 17 years”.
In addition to Martin Broughton, two other candidates have expressed their willingness to submit an offer to the New York merchant bank, Raine Group, which is managing the sale of the English club: Todd Boehly, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball franchise, and Steve Pagliuca co-owner of the Boston Celtics basketball club.
The candidates for the purchase had until Thursday to submit their applications.
Chelsea was put up for sale on March 2 by Abramovich, who anticipated British government sanctions targeting oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine. The club obtained a special government license that allowed it to continue its activities, but under strict conditions.
A fervent defender of human and minority rights, Hamilton affirms that with this participation, he wants to “have a greater impact and commit ourselves more to society”.
