Chelsea: Is it time to give 'disruptors' some credit?

To understand what's going on at Stamford Bridge, you need to forget everything you instinctively know about football.

No club at the top level has ever attempted to rebuild in the way that Chelsea are since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover of the club in May 2022.

Unprecedented 10-year contracts, nearly £900m spent on players aged 21 or younger and a bending of certain Premier League profit and sustainability rules (PSR) has allowed a total of £1.6bn to be paid in transfers fees across a three-year period.

Chelsea's approach has confused and alienated some football fans - but qualifying for the Champions League, winning the Conference League and then claiming the Club World Cup has changed the conversation.

Enzo Maresca will also be the first manager to be entrusted with back-to-back campaigns in what will be the fourth season under this ownership, with a world champions badge to be emblazoned on Chelsea's shirt for the next four years.

Internally, Chelsea see their latest victories as vindication of a 'disruptor' approach led by the owners, delivered by the sporting directors and made to work on the pitch by Maresca.

However, the disruptors face disruption as their pre-season has been shortened to just two under weeks because of the Club World Cup.

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