Gary O’Neil speaks out against Chelsea owners over Strasbourg choice
When Liam Rosenior decided to leave Strasbourg and take over as Chelsea’s manager after Enzo Maresca left, Gary O’Neil stepped up to become Strasbourg’s new head coach.
This season hasn’t gone the way O’Neil and Strasbourg hoped. They were knocked out in the semi-finals of both the Europa Conference League and the Coupe de France by Rayo Vallecano and Nice. On top of that, they are expected to finish only eighth in Ligue 1.
Strasbourg fans have been unhappy with how BlueCo, the owners of both Strasbourg and Chelsea, have been running the club. Fans have also been critical of how BlueCo manages Chelsea. The main issues they point to are problems with player recruitment, constant changes in managers, and a lack of clear direction.
The frustration was very clear when fans of both clubs joined forces to protest against BlueCo outside Stamford Bridge before Chelsea’s game against Manchester United in April.
Recently, O’Neil shared his thoughts on why Strasbourg’s season has fallen short of winning trophies. He believes that the January transfer window actually weakened the team instead of improving it. During the season, four Chelsea players on loan at Strasbourg—David Datro Fofana, Aaron Anselmino, Mamadou Sarr, and Kendry Paez—were called back to Chelsea, with Paez quickly loaned out to River Plate.
O’Neil told L’Equipe, “I need two centre-forwards. The owners want to support me next season, but we have to improve the club’s culture, the quality of players, and the squad’s depth. We made a mistake in January and weakened the team.”
The English coach will be hoping that BlueCo gives him more support this summer so Strasbourg can come back stronger and compete for trophies. But with Chelsea also having a tough season, it’s unclear how much more BlueCo will invest in either club moving forward.