Strasbourg fans in revolt as Chelsea take their coach: "We are always little brother"
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 12.01.26. | 19:35
Supporters accuse BlueCo of turning their club into a feeder team, as their coach is lured to Stamford Bridge
Strasbourg's supporters have turned on president Marc Keller after what they call the "humiliating" loss of head coach Liam Rosenior to Chelsea - another flashpoint in the growing anger over the club's ownership by BlueCo.
Rosenior was unveiled as Chelsea's new manager on Tuesday, signing a contract until 2032 after leaving Strasbourg just 24 hours earlier, having admitted he "could not turn down the opportunity". Both clubs are controlled by BlueCo, the Todd Boehly - Clearlake Capital consortium that bought Chelsea in 2022 and Strasbourg a year later.
The move has been met with fury in France.
"Rosenior's transfer is yet another humiliating step in Racing Strasbourg's subjugation to Chelsea," said the Federation Supporters RCS. "The problem is structural. The future of French football is at stake. It's time for Keller to go. Now."
What was sold as a partnership has increasingly looked like a takeover. Since BlueCo's €76.3 million purchase of Strasbourg in 2023, the club has become a feeder to Chelsea, with 12 transfers between the two sides. This previous transfer window alone, Strasbourg sold striker Emmanuel Emegha - their top scorer - to Stamford Bridge, triggering protests from fans who see their club being stripped for parts.
"We are the junior partner," one supporters' group admitted. "They can take our players. They can take our manager. We are always the little brother."
Strasbourg sit seventh in Ligue 1 and are winless in five games. Chelsea, meanwhile, move on - and Strasbourg's fans feel left behind.
