Xabi Alonso hails 'important day' as Clearlake Capital take full control of Chelsea

Chelsea have officially entered a new chapter in their modern history after Clearlake Capital assumed full control of the club. The private equity firm acquired the shares previously held by Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, who each owned a 12.83% stake. This move consolidates power under Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, expanding their previous 61.5% majority into a dominant position.

Addressing the media ahead of the upcoming fixture against Brentford, manager Xabi Alonso acknowledged the magnitude of this transition. "I think it is an important day for the club when there is an important change in the structure of the club, new ownership," Alonso told reporters on Thursday.

Alonso expressed his appreciation for the outgoing owners, acknowledging the effort required to stabilize the club during a challenging period. Crucially, the manager reaffirmed his commitment to the project, noting that his strong relationship with Behdad Eghbali was a decisive factor in his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

I have a very good relationship with Behdad; he was the one who came to Madrid to explain the project to convince me and we are working well together. As I have mentioned, this is phase one we have completed in the project of the squad. It is good and now we move on together. Xabi Alonso

Away from the boardroom, the focus turns to the fitness of Joao Pedro. The forward, who has enjoyed a productive start to the season with three goals and three assists, recently withdrew from the Brazil squad due to injury concerns.

Alonso remains cautious about his availability for Friday's match. "In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad, we are having the last training session tomorrow so no one is ruled out for us for Friday so I prefer to be cautious and we will be waiting until tomorrow to make the final decision on every player," he explained.