Charlie Ebersol, as a successful businessman, is used to his everyday life being interrupted by the trill of his phone. But, even in that context, it has been ringing off the metaphorical hook over the past few weeks.
“There are people I have not spoken to in years who are now suddenly calling me… I just had to be behind the company that is the front-of-shirt sponsor for you to get back in touch? Got it.”
Ebersol says all this with a smile. He knows this is a big deal for a lot of people and not just because it is costing the in-game analysis company he founded, Infinite Athlete, more than £40million ($49.2m) to have its name printed across the front of the Chelsea kit worn by the men’s, women’s and academy teams.
It is rare for a sponsorship to generate much interest in football, but the name blazoned across the front of Chelsea’s shirt — or, on occasion, the absence of one — has actually been a bit of a story for the past 19 months.
