Chelsea owners face moment of reckoning amid fan backlash

Breaking news from the world of sport: Chelsea owners face moment of reckoning amid fan backlashImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea in 2022ByNizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporterPublished11 minutes ago"We don't care about Clearlake, they don't care about us. "Amid growing anger from Chelsea's fans towards the club's BlueCo ownership, that chant has become the anthem of this campaign. Monday's dismal 3-1 defeat by second-string Nottingham Forest in the Premier League means the Blues can no longer finish fifth - and are highly unlikely to meet their minimum pre‑season aim of qualifying for the Champions League.

It appears the moment of reckoning has arrived for BlueCo, who are now the target of an increasingly irate fanbase. While the Clearlake chant only targets one arm of the ownership, it is part of a wider disconnect between supporters and the club, amid the search for a sixth permanent manager in four years after Liam Rosenior was sacked last month. There is also a perceived lack of effort from players and dissatisfaction with ticketing policies.

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Chelsea's most recent accounts showed a £262m Premier League-record pre-tax loss and Uefa continues to monitor the club under a settlement agreement from last summer that will regulate spending on players. It is against that backdrop that BlueCo - the holding company owned by Todd Boehly and his allies, along with majority investor Clearlake - are on trial with supporters. At the thick end is Not A Project CFC, a fringe but growing fan movement who are calling for major change - and have announced two further protests.

One will take place on Wembley Way before the FA Cup final against Manchester City, and the other urges fans to turn their backs in the 22nd minute (representing the year 2022 when BlueCo bought Chelsea from sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich) of their final home game against Tottenham. It is a movement figures inside Chelsea have tried to quell, including director Danny Finkelstein, after a conversation with supporters was leaked in which he said it was "obvious" the Blues were building one of the best teams in the world. While the picture may seem bleak for Chelsea, who are ninth in the league with just three matches left, with a cup final to come is the situation still salvageable for BlueCo?

Fixing the disconnectImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi (centre) talking to Chelsea recruiters Paul Winstanley (left) and Sam Jewell at Stamford BridgeHosting Tottenham head coach Roberto de Zerbi in Chelsea's directors' box on Monday, ostensibly to scout his future opponents, went down poorly with sections of the fanbase. De Zerbi has a long‑standing relationship with Paul Winstanley and Sam Jewell from their time at Brighton, but Chelsea fans want to see their London rivals relegated - particularly with the prospect of inflicting damage themselves in a league match at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.