Strasbourg are on the verge of reaching their first ever European final, but fan protests continue against the BlueCo consortium that owns both the French club and Chelsea.
Strasbourg, coached by Englishman Gary O’Neil, will host Rayo Vallecano at the Stade de la Meinau this week. The match is the second leg of their Conference League semi-final. Strasbourg are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first meeting.
Strasbourg’s Unexpected European Run
Neither Strasbourg nor Rayo Vallecano have ever reached the last four of a European competition before. The winner of their tie will face either Crystal Palace or Shakhtar Donetsk in the final, to be held in Leipzig on May 27.
Reaching a European final would have seemed unlikely not long ago for Strasbourg fans. The club has only been French champions once, back in 1979.
Before this season, Strasbourg’s best European run was in 1980, when they reached the European Cup quarter-finals but lost to Ajax. They did achieve a memorable victory against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup in 1997.
BlueCo Ownership and Fan Concerns
BlueCo’s involvement has caused tension among Strasbourg supporters.
Club president Marc Keller, a former Strasbourg player, acknowledged the need for investment to reach this level after Strasbourg beat German side Mainz in the last round. Keller pointed out that Strasbourg were playing in the regional amateur leagues just 15 years ago, after facing financial difficulties and liquidation.
Strasbourg returned to Ligue 1 in 2017 after almost a decade away, re-establishing themselves in the top flight. Keller insisted that the club had reached its limit with its previous model before BlueCo took over in June 2023, a year after they bought Chelsea.
Since the takeover, significant money has been invested in new players. Strasbourg qualified for the Conference League after an exciting campaign.
Some players have arrived at Strasbourg from Chelsea, mostly on loan. However, fans are concerned that successful players and coaches will soon be on their way to Stamford Bridge.
In September, Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, Strasbourg’s captain, announced he would join Chelsea next season, angering many fans. In January, Chelsea poached Rosenior, further upsetting supporters.
Rosenior’s comments did little to ease the anger. He suggested that fans should be proud that someone who had worked at Strasbourg had been identified to manage a Champions League-winning club and current club world champions.
O’Neil replaced Rosenior. Strasbourg have already lost in the French Cup semi-finals under his leadership.
Thursday’s game is the biggest in the club’s history.