Todd Boehly wanted 12 players on the pitch. At least, that's what we were told. It was 2022, and with Cristiano Ronaldo out at Manchester United, the American businessman saw an opportunity. He tried to piece together a picture for then-manager Thomas Tuchel. Ronaldo, he surmised, could play in Chelsea's front line - the final piece of the puzzle.
What he didn't realize is that, after piecing together the formation, Boehly has 12 players on the pitch, a unique but yet-to-be-tried 4-4-3 formation.
That tale has been a beating stick to bash American owners by English fans in recent years. Americans don't know anything about football. They are ruining our sport. They don't even use the right word for it. And there are, indeed, plenty of examples of poor American ownership (although it is not just Americans that can be bad owners in football - see Tottenham's Daniel Levy, pride of Essex, for more!)
But in the past 12 months, something has changed. Chelsea notwithstanding - that will always be a dumpster fire until they come up with a coherent strategy, hire a manager for a long-term project, and renovate the ailing Stamford Bridge - American ownership in English soccer has looked, well, good.
Wrexham's Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Birmingham's Tom Brady and J.J. Watt's Burnley have all achieved promotion from their divisions. Throw in the Leeds ownership - 49ers enterprises - and Americans are four-for-four on successful seasons. Promotion is good. It makes fans happy.
And more broadly, it could prove to be vital for the growth of the game in America, with big names operating in foreign countries showing the United States how soccer in its most traditional form works - and how to be successful at doing it.