The race to buy Chelsea comes down to three candidates after the Ricketts consortium withdrew on Friday.
A statement from the group said: “The Ricketts-Griffin-Gilbert Group has decided, after careful consideration, not to submit a final offer to Chelsea. In the process of finalizing their proposal, it became increasingly clear that some issues could not be addressed given the unusual dynamics around the sales process. We admire Chelsea and its fans and wish success to the new owners. “
Chelsea fans have opposed a significant number of candidates over historical allegations of Islamophobia, including a protest at Stamford Bridge. The Ricketts said they “reject any form of hatred under the strictest conditions” and sources said opposition supporters were not behind the withdrawal and that the move came because the consortium’s three partners could not agree on a bid structure.
The Ricketts have partnered with hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin and the Rock Entertainment Group, led by Dan Gilbert, valued at $ 31 billion (£ 23.7 billion). The Ricketts said they planned to add Karan Bilimoria, a Tory peer, Chelsea fan and founder of Cobra Beer, to the board.
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The final offers to buy Chelsea were to be sent on Thursday, and a preferred bidder could be chosen next week.
Those who remain in the dispute are a consortium led by LA co-owner Dodgers, Todd Boelli; a consortium led by Sir Martin Broughton and Sebastian Coe, supported by Philadelphia 76ers basketball team owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer; and an offer led by Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Palyuka.
The value of each offer is assessed by Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board, and the Rhine, the US bank that sells, will take a preferred bidder to the UK government for approval.
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