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Takeover

Nick Candy says he wouldn’t run Chelsea how Glazers run Manchester United

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Chelsea are currently in the midst of a protracted takeover after Roman Abramovich’s assets were frozen and Nick Candy is a suitor.

As per the Sun, Candy made his Blue Football Consortium’s bid before Friday night’s 9pm deadline, thought to be worth over £2 billion.

He has says he will put their fans at the ‘heart and centre’ of the Stamford Bridge club, with a stake in the board and decision-making process.

And he will also keep up the spending pattern which has made Chelsea so successful despite the churn of managers.

FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-NEWCASTLE
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

“On the pitch and in the transfer market, it’s simple  – follow the model. It’s not failed us and it’s done really well,” he said.

“But I don’t think we should end up like Manchester United where we have one rich family that owns Chelsea and there should be a new benchmark of owning football clubs.

“Why does there have to be one rich family that the fans end up hating because they don’t invest? It should be a global consortium of the best-in-class in every part of the world.

“We have 100 million fans in China, over 80 million fans in India and over 70 million in southeast Asia. We have European and American fans so why doesn’t the consortium come from each continent? And that’s what I’ve tried to do with my bid.”

“We have a chance with Chelsea to put the fans heart and centre of the club. There is no club without the fans. In 100 years time there will still be fans whoever the owner is. We are just custodians of the club for a period of time – that is all we are.

“We can actually set the benchmark of how it is done, following the Tracey Crouch recommendations. We want to be the golden standard of how to do it.”

Manchester United v Fulham - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Yet again, there has been scrutiny on the Glazers after another on-pitch failure for United.

And Candy’s comments are a reminder that they have made Manchester United the ownership structure no club wants to follow.

Of course, it is easy for Candy to make all the right noises now, to get the fans onside and try and position himself as the most suitable new owner.

It is about doing it if he gets control of the club but that does not change the fact that the Glazers are absolutely not the ‘golden standard’ of football ownership in this country.