According to British media reports, Chelsea and Strasbourg fans will hold a joint protest in London next month against the owners of both clubs.
Chelsea fan protest group "NotAProjectCFC" has announced that they will stage a joint demonstration with four fan groups representing Strasbourg before Chelsea's home match against Manchester United on Saturday, April 18. Members of "Ultra Boys 90", "Kop Ciel et Blanc", "Fédération des Supporters du RCS" and "Pariser" have agreed to travel to London to protest alongside "NotAProjectCFC".
Both Chelsea and Strasbourg are owned by the BlueCo consortium of Clearlake Capital, and fans of both clubs are dissatisfied with their operational methods. Before their away match against Everton on Saturday, Chelsea sit sixth in the Premier League table and were eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. Strasbourg are eighth in Ligue 1 and have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League. Liam Rosenior is Chelsea's head coach, whom BlueCo brought over from his position at Strasbourg.
A statement from "NotAProjectCFC" said: “As a result of the continued erosion of values at both football clubs, we have decided to come together to take action with one clear, unified message: BlueCo Out.”
“Members of Ultra Boys 90, Kop Ciel et Blanc, Fédération des Supporters du RCS and Pariser have kindly agreed to fly to London and march with us along the protest route to Stamford Bridge before the match.”
“We invite supporters of both clubs to join this march. We plan to expose not only the incompetence and mismanagement at Chelsea, but also the limitations brought about by the multi-club ownership model - under which clubs like Strasbourg are being stripped of their identity, and long-established, respected fan groups are being scrutinized and suppressed by ruthless owners.”
“We believe this could be a momentous occasion in football history, where fans from clubs in different countries will unite to do what is right not only for our respective clubs, but for football as a whole. Together, we can drive change.”
During Tuesday night's defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea fans chanted the name of former owner Roman Abramovich, while fan groups have occasionally sung anti-Clearlake Capital songs this season.
Strasbourg fans unfurled a banner during their Europa Conference League match against Crystal Palace this season, referencing Crystal Palace's expulsion from the Europa League for violating multi-club ownership regulations. The banner read: “Crystal Palace expelled from the Europa League. Even if you win, you still lose. Against multi-club ownership.”
Before Liam Rosenior's first win as Chelsea manager against Brentford, the "NotAProjectCFC" group organized a protest, which received mixed reviews for its scale and organization. However, it is understood that the group was satisfied that the event was significant enough to be mentioned on "Match of the Day" and believed it led to a meeting with Chelsea director Finkelstein.
