Some Chelsea fans are planning a protest about the club’s direction after the decision of manager Enzo Maresca to leave amid lingering frustrations over the ownership model of the club by BlueCo.
Enzo Maresca’s exit from Stamford Bridge was occasioned by differences with the club hierarchy rather than by performance or player issues. His departure marks the fourth time a permanent manager has left Chelsea since the 2022 acquisition of the club by the BlueCo consortium, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and with Behdad Eghbali taking a major charge of football operations.
Chelsea fans’ collective, Not A Project CFC, has unveiled its intention to hold a non-violent demonstration before Chelsea’s home game against Brentford in the Premier League on 17 January. The fans insist the protest is not targeted at the individual players or manager, but is a plea to the excessive micromanagement and the long development path, which trades young talents to the detriment of present success that they find so unproductive.
In a letter, the fans accused the sporting management of the club, co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart among them, of running Chelsea more as a “player trading farm” than as an elite, trophy-challenging club.
Supporters further argued that achieving stability within the team has remained a problem even though big transfer fees have been paid, and they are suggesting that the “project” mentality is actually wearing out after a club ownership of four years.
There is a desire for transparency in ambition, a calling for stronger leadership, and, most importantly, a wish to see the club refocused on winning trophies.
