Responses to the protests on social media saw some rival fans outright mock this, pointing to how the same fans were singing “we’ve got our Chelsea back” just a few months ago, and wondering how many would welcome the return of the sanctioned Roman Abramovich.
That is partly understandable given the nature of club rivalry – not to mention the actual sentiments of some Chelsea fans – but it’s also one of the problems with English football.
This is about more than whether Chelsea can be a Champions League club again, even as this 4-0 win over Southampton temporarily put them back into the top four.
Chelsea fans complaining about connection may be specific to circumstances, but it is also in-keeping with a general feeling right across elite football.
As a private equity group who have investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, albeit not in their stake in the club, Chelsea’s owners represent the extreme of this.
