Strasbourg supporters have expressed anger at Liam Rosenior’s “humiliating” departure, claiming it showed the French club’s “submissiveness” to Chelsea under Bruco. Further protests are being threatened at the Alsatian club’s next home match by the Ultras, who have already boycotted the opening stages of the match in protest against multi-club ownership.
Chelsea’s owners bought Strasbourg for €75m (£64.9m) in June 2023 and appointed Rossenyol as the successor to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in July 2024. He signed a new three-year contract last April and led the Alsatian team to seventh place in the youngest team in Europe’s top five leagues (all outfield players were under 23 in one game).
However, despite investing €100 million over the summer, there was already growing dissatisfaction among Racing supporters that the club was being used as a reserve team and testing ground for young talent.
Now Bruco has applied the same approach to his head coach after a five-game winless spell in Ligue 1.
The RC Strasbourg Supporters Club Federation posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) expressing their anger at the situation.
They said: “The transfer of Liam Rosenior marks another humiliating step in Racing’s subordination to Chelsea. For two and a half years we, together with other teams, have been trying to sound the alarm on this matter.”
“This problem goes far beyond the impact on mid-season sport or the ambitions of young managers. It is structural and the future of French club football is at stake.”
“Every time Mark Keller makes another twist, every extra time he spends at the helm of the club, it’s an insult to the tremendous accomplishments that have been achieved by 2023. What many saw as an outrageous move last September is looking more and more like sound advice: He should go. Now.”
“FSRCS will work closely with the other three organizations actively fighting multiple ownership, and with all people of goodwill, to determine next steps.”
Strasbourg won the French title in 1979 and secured sixth place in 2022 under current QPR manager Julien Stephan. However, French football is facing financial difficulties after its five-year television contract with streaming platform DAZN was scrapped after just one season.
Ligue 1 became the first of Europe’s top five leagues to launch a direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming platform this season. And Strasbourg insists BlueCo’s ownership has brought stability to the league. They also benefit from access to some of the world’s most talented young talent.
With Mike Penders and Kendry Paes on loan from Chelsea this season, Strasbourg topped the group stage of the UEFA Conference League.
Meanwhile, 10 of Ligue 1’s 18 clubs currently operate within a multi-club ownership framework, with Troyes linked to Manchester City, Olympique Lyon, controlled by former Palace interest John Texter, part of a network that includes Botafogo in Brazil and Toulouse linked to AC Milan, and INEOS controlling both Nice and Manchester United.
However, Dutch striker Emmanuel Emega, who amusingly admitted he believed Strasbourg was a German club when he first joined in 2023, has already agreed to move to Chelsea next summer.
Strasbourg’s fanatical fans have voiced their concerns through banners and protest chants during recent matches, even boycotting the first 15 minutes of every home game. The Eastern Derby against Metz, to be held on January 18th, is expected to be a hotly contested match.
