Chelsea FC fans have voiced their frustration towards club owner Todd Boehly following their team’s defeat to Brighton on Saturday. The Blues were beaten 2-1 by the Seagulls at Stamford Bridge, leaving them in a disappointing 9th place in the Premier League table [22]. After the match, a group of supporters reportedly confronted Boehly from above the directors’ box in the stadium [22].
This is not the first time that Chelsea fans have expressed their dissatisfaction towards Boehly since he led a consortium to take over the club from Roman Abramovich in a £4.25 billion deal last year [1]. Earlier this year, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust wrote a strongly worded open letter to Boehly, expressing concerns over proposed changes to ticket prices and other issues [5].
Despite these protests, Boehly has remained committed to the club and has been active in trying to improve the team’s fortunes. He was involved in the signing of Raheem Sterling, who was described by manager Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea’s “number one priority” when he joined on a five-year contract earlier this year [4]. Boehly has also launched a new Fan Advisory Board as part of a pledge to be “pioneers of fan engagement” [16].
However, the pressure on Boehly is likely to increase if Chelsea’s poor form continues. The club has already had three different managers in the dugout this season, and the fans are calling for stability and improvement on the pitch [2]. It remains to be seen how Boehly will respond to these concerns and whether he can lead Chelsea back to success in the coming seasons.