Boehly's billions backfire to leave Chelsea staring into abyss

Chelsea's American owners saw their last hope of any glory in their first season crumble on Tuesday when the club they bought in a deal worth 4.25 billion pounds ($5.28 billion) last year was knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

Marooned in the unfamiliar bottom half of the Premier League, the Blues are at risk of their worst domestic league finish in nearly 30 years, and they fell at the first hurdle in the FA Cup and League Cup.

Their only chance of qualifying for next season's lucrative Champions League by winning the competition has also now evaporated after Madrid's 4-0 aggregate quarterfinal win following a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.