Chelsea, losing her soul

The disorientation continues at Stamford Bridge, where Sunday saw a very telling picture of the nerves gripping its leaders. Just on the day of the premiere, its co-owner and majority shareholder Todd Boehlyleft the box without waiting for the end of the game, which saw another defeat against Manchester City completely. Despite the good intentions of his new coach, the Italian debutant Enzo MarescaChelsea is inferior to the champion. He also received one last painful blow to accept, 0-2, as it came from one of his recent discards, his former player, Matthew Kovacic. Ironic and cruel, due to bad timing.

The afternoon of the premiere in London got off to an exciting start, heading to the stadium via Fulham Road, but Chelsea fans didn’t last long, after the first goal of Haalandsinging nothing Conor Gallagher (already transferred to Atlético de Madrid). They joked about the scary situation the club is in, because in the match program that fell into their hands they already proved the strange size of the Chelsea squad, which wants to accumulate players and strike the newest coaches of this (Lampard, Potter, Pochettino). The worst of the situation is Raheem Sterlingan hour before the game, by making a statement asking for “clarity” about his future.

The more than 40 players in the squad are, at the moment, a true reflection of the changes in direction and standards that have marked the passage of new leaders in the last two years. With many unwanted players by Maresca They have been banned from using the first-team facilities, while the club desperately searches for them, in what looks more like another desperate cost-cutting exercise to meet financial sustainability standards. There is still the threat of penalties for violations of the rules during the Roman Abramovich which the Premier League could resolve in the first quarter of 2025.

The newcomer as savior, Enzo Marescais trying to maintain order, or the impression that there is order. Despite all the surroundings, there are glimmering hopes for Chelsea in the coach’s style of training Guardiola and succeeded by promoting Leicester City. The Italian aims to rediscover the soul of Chelsea from a pattern of balance between strength, intensity and strategy, to develop a quick attack. And for that style, players want Pedro Neto and the final signing, João Felixin his second time at Stamford Bridge.

The worrying thing in south-west London is the distance that has opened up to loyal ‘blues’ fans due to some of the decisions of Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The club has further distanced itself from fans, including by increasing the price of tickets, while trying to win over the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), the group of partners who still retain part ownership. of the old stadium, to give to his blockade to build a new one. But there is a fracture, as many feel that the Americans are stripping the club of much of the essence of what it is.