Behdad Eghbali tells @Sportico Chelsea was "not terribly well managed on the football, sporting or promotional side" under Roman Abramovich. As previously reported, new owners were surprised by the lack of data they inherited and the 'disconnected' internal structure of the club. 
Eghbali was always going to be hands on and will be key in January. Although not carrying a defined football title like Todd Boehly, he's firmly across budget, negotiations and partnerships and is leading on multi-model decisions from an investment perspective.
#CFC always thinking global. They want a multi-club model with Eghbali confirming France, as reported, is a priority region. "French market is interesting given the quality of the league... [&] French speakers in Africa. Africa is also a big, big market."
https://twitter.com/JacobsBen/status/1605270112881221668?s=20&t=G8Tb4GwtiK-t-Tu0imcNdw
Eghbali also confirms Chelsea's first step into the multi-club market may be minority investment. "We could partner and be a minority holder on a team and still get the benefit of some of the knowhow and really firewall off the scouting and decision-making."
Away from the football side, Chelsea also want to expand the brand. The belief is the £2.3bn purchase price is a 'bargain' and thus if the club globalises and modernises, plus naturally succeeds on field, profit will come quite fast.
Expansion of the brand, and optimising partnerships or things like digital content, is a clear strategic goal alongside (not at the expense of) football success. This remains the priority. "You've got to put a good product on the field. You've got to win...
"Your content, your asset is that play and the opportunity to make it a platform is there. These things are generally not well-managed. Some US ownership, like FSG or the Abu Dhabi model with #MCFC, have done it well. But for the most part, these things haven't been optimised."
Chelsea are not only looking at football models. They'll take inspiration from the US sports market, which is unsurprising given the ownership's knowledge of it. "We think European sports is probably 20 years behind US sports in terms of sophistication on the commercial side...
"And sophistication on the data side. I had one super high-level sporting director at one of the world's biggest, top-three clubs tell me, when I asked about their approach to data, 'The data is my eyes'. He has six scouts and no data."
Data is not just used to scout. It's vital to predict value, development and prevent injuries. And it ultimately forms part of tactical insight. How it's 'connected' at a club, and how much feeds up to the top, differs from team to team. But #CFC want to be heavily data-led.
Chelsea will undoubtedly be innovative. This will come via some predictable moves, like a modern (likely phased) stadium redevelopment, which opens the door to non-football income, too. Spurs have been able to profit from this since their new stadium opened.
And, as reported, #CFC will try more novel ideas to bring fans closer to the club and attract new audiences/sponsors. This will include more academy-led content, so supporters feel they know players before they break through. Chelsea Women content will be expanded as well.
Amazon also believe Chelsea are open to an 'All or Nothing' documentary, an idea that was flatly dismissed under Abramovich. Eghabli basically wants to monetise content at all levels: "We think there's a lot to do around games, media and live content stories..."
#CFC still against the ESL. They don't want to be part of a breakaway. But Eghbali admits, "I think the sport needs more high-quality premium matches and content. But it doesn't have to be a Super League." Boehly may also consider standing for ECA election to input across Europe.
Eghbali: "Could you see a EPL vs. Serie A All-Star Game? Or we could do a pre-season match that puts more premium content on the pitch?" #CFC already want in on an EPL endorsed pre-season tournament in America and see big earning potential in America ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The other major aim is to save money rather than only just bringing it in. This will be done via lowering the overall club salary and trying to offer long-term deals with heavy earning incentives.
This is also why it's been tough negotiating with N'Golo Kante. #CFC don't want to set a precedent for long-term lucrative contacts for senior players approaching mid-thirties. If they cave to Kante, Jorginho (who is set to start meaningful talks) has leverage to some degree.
This extends to signings, too. #CFC know they need some short-term fixes to try and qualify for #UCL. But once the full recruitment team is in place, and the multi-club model built, the hope is for smaller transfer-window spends and high priority placed on younger players.
Eghbali: "How do you control salary cost? I think if there's a global pool of talent, the multi club model comes into play. You can have clubs that can be development pathways for players [so] you're not signing the 30-year-old free agent...
"There's a path to controlling labour costs and still producing a winning product using data and the multi-club model, an interesting tool for trading. Red Bull, which does it well, has a £40m payroll for their largest club and generate £50-100m yearly in profit in trading."
When Eghbali talks of not signing the '30-year-old free agent' he's not referencing Cristiano Ronaldo. Nonetheless, #CFC won't move for Ronaldo because Graham Potter is against the move. But the intrigue (especially to Boehly) was due to his commercial/brand benefit to Chelsea.
Appeal of multi-club model to #CFC comes from not only how it creates pathways, but also should a player signed not succeed they can still be sold for a profit. That money can be used to invest in more established targets and/or players who fall outside of the model's strategy.
Eghbali also gives insight into why Chelsea are so impressed by Brighton. "We hired a coach from Brighton and we think they are one of the best-run teams in the Premier League. The owner is from a sport-gaming, data background...
"He [Tony Bloom] spends 10% of the payroll, wins almost as much [as those who spend far more] and has a very stable, mid-market, mid-table, very profitable club."
Eghbali also asked if Clearlake have an exit strategy. Says there are "certainly businesses you want to own for a long time". Clearlake gave a minimum 10-year commitment to #CFC. Eghbali's hands-on approach suggests a long-term vision. Level of ambition is sky-high and exciting.
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