Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca on Chelsea bid: I'll make them 'habitual winners'

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Steve Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics, said on Tuesday that he would make significant investment to make the club winners.

The Raine Group has a Thursday deadline for bids to be submitted. One of the four that have reached this stage is a group led by Todd Boehly, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Pagliuca was a surprise name on the list, given his bid has largely been shrouded in secrecy, but he released a statement outlining his proposals, which include the creation of a new league and the abolition of the European Super League.

He said that the process has been disconcerting for the football club and fans.

It is important to clarify and assure supporters that we are serious about our responsibility to the club.

We will submit a substantial and credible bid proposal later this week, one that we expect will meet the respective requirements and regulations of the Premier League, UK Government and UEFA, and we pledge to honour our commitment to credibility and good guardianship of the club from day one.

A controlling stake in Atalanta was bought by Pagliuca and a group of investors in February for $450 million. If two clubs majority-owned by the same entity are ever drawn against each other in a competition, one would have to agree to forfeited.

Atalanta was knocked out in the group stages of the European competition, as was the other Italian side, Chelsea.

The addition of NBA chairman and serial sports investor Larry Tanenbaum and the fact that Pagliuca was in attendance at St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday have all been seen as proof of his commitment to the bid.

After expressing his hope to see a comeback for the ages against Real Madrid, Pagliuca went on to outline three key.

He said that the first priority was to make strategic investments to continue competing.

We will support our players and managers to make sure that they are regular winners and title challengers, whether in the premier league, europe, or the women's super league.

We would not be in this process if we did not have an exciting and inclusive vision for the club.

The club's legacy and traditions will be our second focus. The name, colors, and logo of the Boston Celtics have not been changed in over 20 years of ownership. This is our guarantee to the fans.

Not only are we committed to staying at the home of the club, but we are also inspired to change the stadium. It deserves a world-class stadium, because it is a world-class team, in a world-class city, with world-class fans.

Our third focus will be having a positive impact in the community. We believe that clubs have a social responsibility, and we will continue to support the work of The Chelsea Foundation in education, health and wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion both locally and globally.

It should be the Pride of London for its accomplishments on and off the field. It has fans all over the world and we will not tolerate any form of hate speech, no matter how offensive it is.

The final comment from Pagliuca could be seen as a slight on the Ricketts family, who have faced criticism for past anti-Islamic comments made by the matriarch, Joe, which resurfaced after their interest became public.

After the statement was released, the Ricketts family confirmed that Lord Karan Bilimoria, an Indian-born businessman who founded Cobra beer and is a season-ticket holder, would play a key role in their bid.

I have been a season- ticket holder for many years and founded Cobra Beer just down the road from the bridge. There was no way I could refuse Tom's request to discuss a leading role in his group. Tom and the wider group have a proven track record of running successful sports teams and a strong vision for both the club and the local community.