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RC Strasbourg fan group, Ultra Boys 90, tried to protest against the involvement of Chelsea over the weekend, but they were stopped by club officials
A Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace fan group were stopped from taking an 'anti-Chelsea' banner into Stade de la Meinau ahead of Sunday evening's clash against Olympique Lyonnais. Ultra Boys 90, founded in 1998 and based in the Kop, have been among several fan groups to protest the takeover by BlueCo.
In May 2022, Clearlake Capital, owned by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, and Todd Boehly joined forces to buy the west London outfit from Roman Abramovich. The consortium bought Chelsea for £4.25billion, making them the most expensive football club in the world.
Then, in June 2023, BlueCo, the parent company formed as the investment vehicle for the takeover, acquired a majority stake in Strasbourg. Ultra Boys 90, as well as other supporter groups, have since launched numerous protests against the multi-club model, which they believe compromises traditional club values.
The Strasbourg fan group planned to take aim at the club president during the clash against Lyon, but, according to The Sun journalist Lloyd Canfield, they were told by security that the word 'Chelsea' is not allowed.
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"Chelsea doesn’t decide what’s going on at Strasbourg," read the banner, translated from French. Ultra Boys 90 issued a statement before the game, which read: "Hello everyone, for tonight's match against Lyon, we had a banner to display in the stands: 'Chelsea doesn't decide what happens at Racing 01.09.2024.'
"This is a reference to Marc Keller's interview in the DNA newspaper in September 2024. This banner was refused entry to the stadium during security checks, as if simple quotes don't belong in the stands. United to Win Ultra Boys 90."
In September 2024, Keller outlined his ambition, shared by the new owners, to regularly qualify for European football. The Strasbourg president fulfilled his promise as Liam Rosenior's side finished seventh and secured a place in the UEFA Conference League.
Despite Chelsea conducting regular business with the French outfit, Keller later dismissed claims from the supporter groups that they're a 'feeder club'. Nevertheless, the denial of the 'anti-Chelsea' banner was just the start of a busy evening for Strasbourg officials.
According to French outlet L’Équipe, home fans clashed among themselves during the 3-1 win over Lyon at Stade de la Meinau on Sunday night. The report claims the incidents broke out in the West Stand, shortly after the Ultra Boys 90 held their traditional silent protest.
L’Équipe reported that a small and independent section of the Strasbourg fanbase, which included former members of a hooligan group, disbanded by the French government in September, called 'Offenders', unveiled a politically offensive banner.
It's said that the messaging was taken down by stewards, but tensions quickly boiled over. Ultra Boys 90 confronted those responsible. One fan with a megaphone was heard shouting: "Our stand is not political, so out."
L’Équipe claim that surveillance footage of the incident has been handed over to the authorities, and investigations are ongoing.
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