Boehly told club is a 'laughing stock' by Chelsea fan group
It is fair to say that Chelsea with Todd Boehly at the helm has been a disaster so far, and a fan group of the Blues is letting everyone know. The American billionaire previously purchased the west London club in May of 2022. Things appeared to get off to a great start for the businessman later that summer after he and fellow co-owners showed that they were not afraid to spend serious money on players.
Boehly initially sanctioned major moves to sign Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly in his first transfer window at the helm. The businessman followed this up by also securing Carney Chukwuemeka, Marc Cucurella, Cesare Casadei, Wesley Fofana, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Chelsea then spent even more money a few months later during the January transfer period as well. In total, Boehly and company spent over $650 million in their first year in charge.
Despite the spending, the Blues struggled mightily during the 2022/23 campaign. They ultimately finished 12th in the Premier League table. The club attempted to right the ship in the summer of 2023 by completely revamping the squad once again. This, however, has not yet paid off and Chelsea currently sits 11th in the English top flight at the moment.
Chelsea Supporters’ Trust pens searing open letter to ownership
Chelsea’s recent failures have made the team become easy targets for rival fanbases. Nevertheless, the club’s supporters are now publicly ridiculing their beloved team as well. The Chelsea Supporters Trust recently published a scathing open letter to Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali.
The note began by claiming that morale with the fans is currently as low as it was in the 1980s. Although the Blues are now known as a top English club, they previously struggled with consistency. Chelsea bounced back and forth between the top two divisions during the latter part of the twentieth century.
“The current feeling amongst Chelsea supporters in our opinion is at its lowest since the early 1980s,” the group stated. “While this may be expected with our current run of form and position in the league table, a significant number of supporters that we speak to are quick to express concerns that the lack of any public‑facing vision from the new ownership has led to an overwhelming sense of helplessness.”
“Supporters are saying that there currently seems a fast-growing lack of trust from much of the fanbase, especially match-goers towards the board, partially due to severely limited communication. Many supporters have significant concerns about the future of our club.”
Boehly and Chelsea coach both abused during a recent match
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust then went on to call the club a “laughing stock” in the sport. This feeling was amplified among the fanbase during a recent matchup with Brentford in early March. The Blues only managed to rescue a draw in the fixture thanks to a late equalizing goal from Axel Disasi. Boehly and manager Mauricio Pochettino were both verbally abused during the game.
“The views of a quiet few became a vocal expression of a larger number of Chelsea supporters present at the [Brentford] game,” continued the statement.
“Much of our recent dialogue with supporters reveals a lack of belief in the decision-makers at the top of our club. The current mood amongst supporters is critically low and cannot be ignored. The feeling that the club has become a ‘laughing stock,’ both on and off the pitch, is growing.”
Not only is the supporters’ trust not happy about the results on the pitch, but they also have concerns over recent price increases. Chelsea jerseys, tickets, match programs, and even concessions have all increased during the current campaign. The group has issues with the lack of communication by the club under Boehly as well.
Rival fans are expected to take shots at other clubs, but the remarks by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust are another embarrassing moment for the Blues. Boehly and company will surely have to turn things around quickly if they do not want to alienate their fanbase soon.
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