Strasbourg face pitfalls of multi-club system as Chelsea take promising young manager Liam Rosenior
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Former Strasbourg's coach Liam Rosenior addressing the media during a press conference on Jan 6, ahead of his departure for Chelsea.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – The departure of Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior to take over as Chelsea manager has exposed the harsh realities of multi-club ownership, which is gaining ground across the world but causing discord between supporters and teams.
The relatively inexperienced 41-year-old has achieved a remarkable elevation from the modest French Ligue 1 side to the Club World Cup champions, who are both owned by American Todd Boehly’s BlueCo consortium.
Worldwide, between 200 and 300 clubs are part of a multi-ownership group. Manchester City, who sit at the top of City Football Group, and Manchester United (Ineos), are some of the big names.
A clear hierarchy exists within such a structure, and not being at the top of an ownership group can mean being reduced to the role of a feeder club.
The consequences are hitting home for Strasbourg supporters who have been left enraged after their promising young coach moved to Chelsea on Jan 6
“When you’re not at the top, you’re also there to serve the interests of the multi-owner and the consortium,” Christophe Lepetit, director of studies at the Centre of Sports Law and Economics at the University of Limoges in France, told AFP.
For Strasbourg fans, it was a case of more salt being rubbed into the wound, as they were already upset by the announcement in 2025 that Dutch club captain and star striker Emmanuel Emegha is to join Chelsea in the 2026-27 season.
But Lepetit argues that multi-ownership does have other benefits for smaller clubs.
“Strasbourg would never have had access to the players who are in the squad today, would not have been able to retain Emmanuel Emegha last summer, and might not have been able to retain Joaquin Panichelli during the winter transfer window given his start to the season,” he said of the Argentinian forward who has scored 10 league goals this campaign.
Strasbourg’s ties with Chelsea have also enabled them to enjoy the services of quality players such as England defender Ben Chilwell this season, and before that, Brazilian midfield dynamo Andrey Santos, who spent a season and a half on loan from the Blues.
On Jan 7, they got their latest import from England, with former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil named as Rosenior’s replacement.
Other clubs like City Group members Troyes, who lost Brazilian rising star Savinho first to Girona on loan and then to City, have had key players sign for the flagship club of their multi-ownership group.
But none had lost two key figures in such a short span of time to the same entity as Strasbourg have.
This feeling that their side have lost independence in managing their own affairs has fuelled frustrations of fans.
Luc Arrondel, a sports economics researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, highlighted the importance of the “notion of identity” for fans.
“Supporters consider themselves to be the only ones loyal to their club, and that’s not necessarily wrong,” he said. “Today, players change clubs a lot, as do coaches, and now there are more and more changes in ownership.”
The profile of investors is also changing with the massive influx of private equity funds into football.
“Investing in a single club can be risky with promotions and relegations, so it’s in their interest to diversify their assets” by betting on several clubs at once, reselling players or even clubs, Arrondel added.
Multi-club ownership has also started to affect club competitions.
European football governing body UEFA’s rules on multiple ownership forced Crystal Palace, who had qualified for the Europa League, to be relegated to the UEFA Conference League
As the model continues to grow globally, it remains to be seen just how consortiums will adapt to manage all of their assets, and whether fans will continue to accept it.
Over in London, Calum McFarlane has touted one of its benefits, saying the Blues’ appointment of Rosenior will be an inspiration to those hoping to follow his path.
Interim Chelsea boss McFarlane, who is Chelsea’s Under-21 manager, will hand over the reins to Rosenior after the Premier League clash at Fulham on Jan 7, which took place after press time.
“I really enjoy watching his sides. They have aggressive, front-footed football and I am really excited about the work he is going to do at this club,” said McFarlane.
“I’m sure all young English coaches from an academy background will be, in some way, rooting for Liam. It is really inspirational for young academy coaches to see that and we hope he does really well.”
Meanwhile, Maresca bid an emotional farewell to fans on Jan 6, saying he had accomplished all he could during an 18-month spell and left “with the inner peace of leaving a prestigious club like Chelsea where it deserves to be”. AFP, REUTERS
