Owners of English giants Chelsea are seemingly heading into hostile territory with supporters of the club unless drastic decisions are made.
Chairman Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali are accused of making the club a “laughing stock” on and off the pitch because of how the club is run.
Chelsea Supporters' Trust voiced out their displeasure to the pair via a letter about a fortnight ago, indicating the frustrations of the fans are highly fed up with the administrators at Stamford Bridge.
It has sunk the rocky relationship between the club and the fanbase into a full-blown civil war.
The letter signified the lack of connection the fans have felt with “the team, the manager, the club ownership, and the board”.
They also point out chants against Boehly in their clash with Brentford on March 2, 2024, and the perceived lack of communication from the club and a “fast-growing lack of trust from the fanbase”.
Excerpt from their letter reads:
“The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust regretfully believes that we are close to if not already experiencing, a significant shift in supporter opinion that could result in irreversible toxicity, almost irrespective of results on the pitch.
“Unless the situation improves, this seems likely to manifest itself in more targeted chanting, especially at televised games, and quite possibly more organized, overt, and impactful forms of protest by some sections of the fanbase.”
Winger Raheem Sterling and manager Mauricio Pochettino faced the wrath of the fans during their 4-2 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Leicester City, which resulted in Chelsea heading to Wembley for the second time this season.
The Blues currently sit 11th on the Premier League table, and they ended the 2022/23 season 12th accruing 44 points - their lowest point tally in the top-tier division in decades.
Todd Boehly and Eghbali led a £2.5billion takeover of Chelsea in 2022 when the club was looking like they were heading for the abyss due to sanctions slammed on previous owner Roman Abramovich.
The duo have overseen a £1bn spend on acquiring new players since their arrival, however, they haven't reaped any reward for the amount spent.
Chelsea have only made it to a Carabao Cup final since the Todd Boehly-led administration took over, and it ended in an unfortunate 1-0 extra-time defeat to Liverpool in Wembley.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville even dubbed the players as “billion-pound bottlejobs” whilst he was on co-commentary duties for the game.
The supporters are infuriated with what they term as the lack of “public-facing vision” from the new ownership which they claim has brought about an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Boehly and his partners are also accused of shattering promises on prices for fan travel, replica kits, food and drink, and ticket prices.
There are fears among many fans of the club that season ticket prices have grown enormously despite their poor showing.
In this campaign, their tickets range from £750 to £940 for an adult, and many feel this has been done to help bankroll the record-breaking transfer spending.
Additionally, the increase in ticket prices is said to be in line with Profitability and Sustainability Rules that have seen teams like Everton and Nottingham Forest docked points this campaign.
The Supporters Trust are demanding improved communication between the club and its fans on several themes, including stadium redevelopment or heading to a new stadium.
They want a well-defined explanation of the moves that Boehly and his colleagues are taking on their favorite club.
Chelsea have seen the appointment of three permanent managers since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, namely; Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Mauricio Pochettino.
Former player and manager Frank Lampard also took charge of the team for 11 matches, but their fortunes didn't improve, as it instead headed for the doldrums.
Some supporters feel the team is bloated with rookie players on contracts of up to 8 years in length.
Morale and confidence levels are set to be at a ridiculously low level, with the dressing room atmosphere not at a spirited state.
Todd Boehly has entered the inner sanctum of the Chelsea dressing room after games, with the motive of charging the boys to do better.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have responded to the concerns of the fans via Chris Jurasek, the club's recently appointed Chief Executive Officer.
Jurasek wrote: “Without question, we want to ensure we engage with our supporters regularly to provide them with clear lines of communication and a significant level of transparency.
“With the establishment of the Fan Advisory Board, who liaise with the club regularly, we are confident that there is a great deal of shared discussion and an intention to work closely with several key stakeholders.”
Chris Jurasek also added that the club does understand the fans' plight “about rising costs on a matchday and the impact ticket prices can have on our supporters.”
He also urged the fans to not fret as the club is taking regular advice and “engaging in regular consultation with the Fan Advisory Board to ensure that we take a holistic approach in this vitally important issue.”
Chairman Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali are accused of making the club a “laughing stock” on and off the pitch because of how the club is run.
Chelsea Supporters' Trust voiced out their displeasure to the pair via a letter about a fortnight ago, indicating the frustrations of the fans are highly fed up with the administrators at Stamford Bridge.
It has sunk the rocky relationship between the club and the fanbase into a full-blown civil war.
The letter signified the lack of connection the fans have felt with “the team, the manager, the club ownership, and the board”.
They also point out chants against Boehly in their clash with Brentford on March 2, 2024, and the perceived lack of communication from the club and a “fast-growing lack of trust from the fanbase”.
Excerpt from their letter reads:
“The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust regretfully believes that we are close to if not already experiencing, a significant shift in supporter opinion that could result in irreversible toxicity, almost irrespective of results on the pitch.
“Unless the situation improves, this seems likely to manifest itself in more targeted chanting, especially at televised games, and quite possibly more organized, overt, and impactful forms of protest by some sections of the fanbase.”
Winger Raheem Sterling and manager Mauricio Pochettino faced the wrath of the fans during their 4-2 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Leicester City, which resulted in Chelsea heading to Wembley for the second time this season.
The Blues currently sit 11th on the Premier League table, and they ended the 2022/23 season 12th accruing 44 points - their lowest point tally in the top-tier division in decades.
Todd Boehly and Eghbali led a £2.5billion takeover of Chelsea in 2022 when the club was looking like they were heading for the abyss due to sanctions slammed on previous owner Roman Abramovich.
The duo have overseen a £1bn spend on acquiring new players since their arrival, however, they haven't reaped any reward for the amount spent.
Chelsea have only made it to a Carabao Cup final since the Todd Boehly-led administration took over, and it ended in an unfortunate 1-0 extra-time defeat to Liverpool in Wembley.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville even dubbed the players as “billion-pound bottlejobs” whilst he was on co-commentary duties for the game.
The supporters are infuriated with what they term as the lack of “public-facing vision” from the new ownership which they claim has brought about an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Boehly and his partners are also accused of shattering promises on prices for fan travel, replica kits, food and drink, and ticket prices.
There are fears among many fans of the club that season ticket prices have grown enormously despite their poor showing.
In this campaign, their tickets range from £750 to £940 for an adult, and many feel this has been done to help bankroll the record-breaking transfer spending.
Additionally, the increase in ticket prices is said to be in line with Profitability and Sustainability Rules that have seen teams like Everton and Nottingham Forest docked points this campaign.
The Supporters Trust are demanding improved communication between the club and its fans on several themes, including stadium redevelopment or heading to a new stadium.
They want a well-defined explanation of the moves that Boehly and his colleagues are taking on their favorite club.
Chelsea have seen the appointment of three permanent managers since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, namely; Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Mauricio Pochettino.
Former player and manager Frank Lampard also took charge of the team for 11 matches, but their fortunes didn't improve, as it instead headed for the doldrums.
Some supporters feel the team is bloated with rookie players on contracts of up to 8 years in length.
Morale and confidence levels are set to be at a ridiculously low level, with the dressing room atmosphere not at a spirited state.
Todd Boehly has entered the inner sanctum of the Chelsea dressing room after games, with the motive of charging the boys to do better.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have responded to the concerns of the fans via Chris Jurasek, the club's recently appointed Chief Executive Officer.
Jurasek wrote: “Without question, we want to ensure we engage with our supporters regularly to provide them with clear lines of communication and a significant level of transparency.
“With the establishment of the Fan Advisory Board, who liaise with the club regularly, we are confident that there is a great deal of shared discussion and an intention to work closely with several key stakeholders.”
Chris Jurasek also added that the club does understand the fans' plight “about rising costs on a matchday and the impact ticket prices can have on our supporters.”
He also urged the fans to not fret as the club is taking regular advice and “engaging in regular consultation with the Fan Advisory Board to ensure that we take a holistic approach in this vitally important issue.”