Chelsea co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart have been removed from the board of fellow BlueCo entity Strasbourg. The leaders of Todd Boley’s consortium are taking the necessary steps to ensure there is no conflict of interest if two of his clubs are to compete in the same European tournament next season. Anxiety at Stamford Bridge reached a new height on Tuesday after the Blues’ 3-0 away win at Brighton. Chelsea have struggled, failing to register a single shot on target at the Amex Stadium, losing seven of their last eight games.
The Blues are barely holding on to seventh place, which is good enough to qualify for next season’s conference league. Brighton overtook Rosenior’s side into sixth place and are currently on track to qualify for the Europa League.
Nevertheless, a place in the league is not the only possible path to the Europa League for Chelsea. By leaving this season’s FA Cup, the club will also secure a place in Europe’s second division competition.
Rosenior’s side will face Leeds at Wembley on Sunday in the semi-finals of this year’s competition. Manchester City or Southampton await in next month’s final, with the winner qualifying for the Europa League if they have not already qualified for the Champions League.
It is extremely unlikely that Strasbourg will qualify for next season’s Europa League through the Ligue 1 table. They are in 8th place in the table, with 10 points and three places off the regulation standard, with five games remaining.
Still, they are likely to qualify for the Europa League through the Conference League or the Coupe de France. They will compete in the semi-finals of both tournaments, with a silver medal in either competition qualifying them for the Europa League next campaign.
If Manchester City can advance to the FA Cup, it could be an advantage for Chelsea. This means that all European qualifying positions in the Premier League table will shift down one place, ensuring that seventh place is indeed sufficient to qualify for the Europa League.
But whether Rosenior will remain in his position overseeing that project is a much more debatable question, given the recent collapse in performance. And amid Chelsea’s recent wave of sackings, his tenure could prove more permanent.
