Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Chelsea FC - Statistics & Facts
Turbulent 2021/22 season for the Blues
Having been founded in 1905, Chelsea FC has more than a century of soccer tradition and places eighth in number of Premier League titles, as well as eighth in terms of the revenue of soccer clubs worldwide. Chelsea also ranks as one of the strongest soccer clubs on the pitch and placed third in the 2021/22 Premier League season, after closing out with a 2-1 home win against Watford. This marked their best table finish since winning the league in 2016/17. However, success on the pitch was marred by events off the pitch. Since 2003, the club had been owned by Russian oligarch billionaire Roman Abramovich, leading to a period of massive financial investment and domestic and European success on the field. However, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the British government placed financial sanctions on Russian oligarchs. With his assets frozen and Chelsea only being allowed to operate under a special licence until the end of the season, Abramovich was forced to put the club up for sale. In May 2022, the club's sale to a new ownership group was approved.
