Chelsea’s Supporters’ Advisory Council has criticized a scathing letter sent by the club’s Supporters’ Trust which criticized the management of the club under its American ownership.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, a fan group with more than 85,000 followers on X, wrote to co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
His letter claimed that “current sentiment among Chelsea fans is at its lowest level since the early 1980s”, and declared that the feeling that the club “has become a ‘laughing stock’, both inside and outside of the field, it is growing.
The group had warned that fan opinion was close to “irreversible toxicity” after fans were heard chanting derogatory, expletive-laden chants about Boehly and boss Mauricio Pochettino during Chelsea’s draw against Brentford.
It was stated that unless Chelsea improve fan participation, “this seems likely to manifest itself in more specific chanting, especially in televised matches.”
The Chelsea Supporters Trust criticized Todd Boehly’s ownership in a letter published last week.
A section of Blues fans chanted against Boehly during the draw against Brentford.
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Chelsea’s Supporters’ Advisory Council responded to the letter, rejecting criticism that fans have not been involved in decision-making at the club.
“We bluntly do not accept the suggestion that fans not be involved in the future of the club. This goes directly against our experience. So we wanted to set the record straight,” the Fan Advisory Council statement said.
“At Chelsea Football Club’s last main board meeting (March 11), Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali directly (and in person) asked the FAB to help shape the club’s proposals regarding the ticket sales and we have been working on exactly that. We have had several sessions with club executives to work on possible proposals and have provided data to help inform any possible changes.
“So, while the precise content of these meetings must remain confidential, until decisions and changes can be communicated to fans, the idea that fans are not involved and not at a decision-making level, does not could be further from the truth.
‘The club is aware that, while the FAB is constructive and understands the realities, we are also defiant. We make our opinions known forcefully. We achieved real change. We worked and will continue working on the relationship. Two other improvements in fan engagement help us.”
The seven-member Fans Advisory Council was established under Boehly and Clearlake Capital following their acquisition of the club, and the move came amid fallout from the European Super League project.
The board aims to ensure that fans’ perspectives are heard at the highest level of the club on medium and long-term strategic issues, with meetings held three times a year with members of the Chelsea FC board of directors.
Fan advisors on the board include diversity and equality representatives at the Fans’ Forum and Chelsea Pride, as well as unofficial supporters groups.
The Chelsea Fan Advisory Council has responded to the letter published by the Supporters’ Trust
The Supporters Advisory Council insisted that the club has allocated “significantly more resources to fan liaison than at any other time in the club’s history”, citing that its fan liaison department now has four staff members full time.
The board responded to those seeking “chaos and division through attacks and campaigns”, despite its member Mark Meehan serving as chairman of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust.
The statement added: “The Chelsea men’s team is in the middle of a season with a lot to play for.” We will return to Wembley soon. We want to move up places in the table, with the European places within a short distance. We have exciting young players with real possibilities for improvement in the men’s first team after a significant investment.
‘Furthermore, our women’s team continues to thrive at national and European level in Emma Hayes’ final season.
‘Football is a matter of opinion and expressing emotions is part of it. But we have to support our team and contribute to victory instead of seeking chaos and division through attacks and campaigns.
Tensions have arisen with Chelsea currently in the bottom half under Mauricio Pochettino.
“All Chelsea fans (including the ownership group) are frustrated by setbacks or results that don’t go our way. But the team and the club in general need their fans. The only people who benefit from the fans of Chelsea turning against Chelsea are the fans of other clubs.
The clash between the Fan Advisory Board and the Supporters’ Trust comes amid a second season of turmoil under Chelsea’s American ownership despite more than £1 billion being spent on transfers.
Chelsea currently sit 11th in the Premier League, with Pochettino’s side 17 points off the Champions League places.
The Blues, however, reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and were beaten finalists in the Carabao Cup.