Chelsea boss Todd Boley faces potential crisis as Premier League club misses out on major brand sponsorship with Nike’s Michael Jordan Brand
Missing out on qualifying for Europe could have serious consequences for Chelsea, putting their lucrative deal with Nike Jordan Brand as kit manufacturer at risk.
Chelsea currently sit 11th in the Premier League, 17 points behind fourth place. They are also 11 points behind sixth-placed Manchester United but could drop to seventh in Europe due to two seasons of Europa League football.
The Blues have also been less successful under new American boss Todd Boley, with the west London club failing to lift any trophies despite spending nearly £1bn on player transfers.
According to Sportico, a poor performance will leave Chelsea financially hit. Negotiations with Saudi Arabian airline Riyadh have stalled as Chelsea are likely to miss out on European competition, particularly the Champions League. For similar reasons, they are in talks with Nike-owned Jordan Brand for jersey manufacturing. Clubs could be losing up to £60m a year.
However, the club is reportedly still in talks with Bank of America and Malaysia Airlines. Bank of America is a long-time corporate partner of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, which is owned by Chelsea co-owner Boley.
Chelsea also have problems with shirt sponsors. They had hoped to sign a deal with streaming service Paramount+, but the Premier League blocked the move due to concerns it could cause problems for USL’s official rights holder NBC. Chelsea have also held discussions with Stake, but such a deal with a bookmaker will be banned from 2026. The club now have 12 games to salvage their season and secure some form of European football.
For all the latest on US news, politics, sports and showbiz visit american mirror.
Chelsea have a record of 10 wins and 10 losses in 26 games so far and will face Newcastle on Monday night. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has found himself in the crosshairs of fans in recent weeks, as has Boli. However, the Argentine has vowed not to quit the Blues.
“The fans will not like another coach at Chelsea. I know it will be difficult (and) we need time and belief,” he said. “If you compare to the past, when you were in different projects, people need to understand. I try to explain. I talk, I move my mouth, but you don’t hear it. We understand the frustration and the acceptance.
“We need to work on the way we play and try to change that feeling. We need our fans and we hope the fans will perform well on Monday and support us for 90 minutes to win the game.”