Strasbourg manager Gary O’Neil has expressed strong criticism towards BlueCo, the joint owners of both Strasbourg and Chelsea. He accused the organization of making poor decisions in recruitment and questioned the overall culture within the clubs. His comments reflect a growing frustration among fans of both clubs, who have raised concerns about the lack of direction and instability in management.
O’Neil took charge of Strasbourg in January and has since overseen two semi-final defeats, leading to the club’s exit from the Coupe de France and the Conference League. Meanwhile, Chelsea is struggling in the Premier League, currently sitting in ninth place. The club recently dismissed Liam Rosenior after just three months in charge and has not secured a league win since March 4.
Fans of both clubs came together in a joint protest against BlueCo, which is led by Behdad Eghbali’s Clearlake Capital and investor Todd Boehly. This demonstration highlighted the shared frustrations of supporters who feel the consortium has failed to provide stability and clear vision for both teams.
O’Neil believes that the January transfer window negatively impacted his squad rather than strengthening it. He pointed out the loaning of striker David Datro Fofana and defender Aaron Anselmino from Chelsea, as well as the recall of influential loanee Mamadou Sarr to west London. Additionally, Ecuador international Kendry Paez had his season-long loan cut short by Chelsea and was immediately re-loaned to River Plate in Argentina.
After a 1-1 draw with Angers, O’Neil spoke to L’Equipe, stating: “I need two centre-forwards. The owners want to give me the means to perform next season, but we have to improve the culture around the club, the quality of the players, and the depth of the squad. We messed up in the January transfer window. We weakened instead of improving the squad.”
O’Neil did not hold back when reflecting on his team’s recent performance. “I am angry. I hope that the players are, too. There are two matches left and they have to show me that they have to level to play with us next season. But we won’t get anywhere playing like that,” he said.
“They really disappointed me, even more so than on Thursday (against Vallecano). They have to do better. The world of football is full of sharks. They need to know that. I told them that we were playing a final and they didn’t play like they had to.”
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