Chelsea fans have 'no trust' in owners as Supporters' Trust raise serious concerns ahead of protest

Chelsea Supporters Trust have penned a damning open letter to the club's hierarchy

Chelsea Supporters' Trust has penned an open letter to the club's ownership, board of directors and senior leadership team stating fans have 'no trust' in the current regime. The statement comes prior to joint-protests this weekend including some Chelsea fans and Strasbourg supporters.

Members of NotAProjectCFC will be joined by representatives from Ultra Boys 90, Kop Ciel et Blanc, Federation des Supporters du RCS and Pariser on a march to Stamford Bridge before the game against Manchester United. The aim is to send a joint message to Todd Boehly and Clearlake's, BlueCo, which owns both clubs.

In a statement, NotAProjectCFC said: "We plan to shine a light on not only the incompetence and mismanagement at Chelsea Football Club, but also the restrictions imposed by multi‑club ownership, where clubs like RC Strasbourg are being stripped of their identities, and where long-standing and respected fan groups are being censored and repressed by a brutal ownership."

Now, the Chelsea Supporters' Trust have released their own letter for the club's hierarchy ahead of the protests this weekend.

A spokesperson from the Chelsea Supporters' Trust spokesperson, said: "Chelsea supporters have shown patience through a sustained period of change. That patience has not been matched by the level of clarity or accountability the club owes its supporters. This is not about short-term results. It is about trust and at this moment in time, that trust has not been earned."

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The open letter reads: " Dear All, Chelsea supporters have been asked to accept an unprecedented level of change in the name of a long-term vision that has never been clearly or consistently explained. Four years on, that vision has still not earned their trust. This is not a reaction to a single result or a run of form. It reflects a deeper and more sustained concern about the direction of Chelsea Football Club, and the growing lack of confidence among supporters in the leadership, structure, and strategy that underpin it.

"It has now been more than three months since the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust formally presented the findings of our January 2026 survey to the club. Those findings were not marginal. They reflected a deep and sustained lack of confidence across multiple aspects of the club’s leadership and direction. In the time since that meeting, supporters have seen no meaningful change, nor a response that reflects the seriousness of the concerns raised.

"The scale of that concern is clear. A significant majority of respondents expressed low confidence in the club’s football decision-making, dissatisfaction with the current structure, and a belief that leadership lacks clarity and accountability. There is also widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of engagement between the club and its supporters.

"This is not background noise. It is a clear and evidenced mandate from Chelsea’s own supporters These concerns are not driven by short-term results, and they will not be resolved by them. They relate to the underlying direction of the club, and they will persist regardless of fluctuations on the pitch. At the heart of supporter concern is a simple point: the current model has demanded a huge amount of faith from the fanbase, while giving too little clarity in return.

"Supporters have watched relentless upheaval. Players, managers, staff, and structures have changed at pace. This has been presented as part of a long-term plan. Yet four years on, there is still no sufficiently clear or convincing explanation of how that plan delivers sustained success while preserving a recognisable Chelsea identity. The vision remains unclear, its execution inconsistent, and its leadership insufficiently accountable.

"That is why this matters. Chelsea supporters are not simply asking to win every year. They are asking to recognise the club they have always supported. At the moment, too many do not. This erosion of trust is not limited to football matters alone. It extends to how supporters experience the club. In recent months, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has set out clearly that the club’s ticketing system is broken and in urgent need of reform.

"Supporters are facing increasing barriers to attending matches, whether through pricing, accessibility, or systems that fail to reward loyalty. These are not abstract concerns. They go to the heart of what it means to support Chelsea. When loyal supporters are priced out of their own club, or locked out by systems that fail to reward loyalty, it does more than frustrate. It damages trust and weakens the connection that has sustained Chelsea Football Club for generations.

"Decisions in this area increasingly give the impression that short-term returns are being prioritised over long-term supporter relationships. A balance that risks lasting damage if not addressed. Chelsea’s own engagement structures are intended to ensure supporter voices are heard at the highest level, including board-level representation and formal consultation. Those commitments should carry weight. However, the evidence from our members is that these structures are not delivering the level of confidence, influence, or trust that supporters expect.

"That gap between intention and reality is now too significant to ignore. The club’s wider strategic case is not yet convincing off the pitch either. Chelsea’s own financial results show strong revenues alongside significant losses. Supporters are therefore entitled to ask why they should continue to place trust in a strategy that has involved extraordinary disruption and expenditure, while still failing to provide sufficient reassurance or accountability.

"This growing lack of confidence is no longer confined to survey data or private discussion. It is now becoming visible. We are aware of planned supporter activity being organised by the ‘NotAProjectCFC’ group ahead of the fixture against Manchester United on 18 April. This includes a peaceful protest march beginning at the Wolfpack Inn at 18:45 before proceeding towards Stamford Bridge. The protest is expected to involve both Chelsea and Strasbourg supporters and continue in the area around the stadium following the march."

It continues: "Not all supporters will choose to express their views in this way. However, the organisation and scale of such activity is a clear signal that frustration is deepening and becoming harder to ignore. That should concern everyone responsible for the leadership of this football club. None of this detracts from the continued commitment of supporters to the team on the pitch, which remains unwavering. Chelsea supporters have shown patience.

"They have absorbed upheaval. They have given the club time to make the case for this direction. That goodwill should not be treated as inexhaustible. For that reason, we expect a clear and substantive response from the club’s leadership on the following:

• Does the club accept that supporter confidence in its current leadership model and direction has fallen to an unacceptably low level?

• What specific changes will now be made to provide greater clarity and accountability in football leadership and decision-making?

• What will change in how supporters are engaged, so that engagement is timely, meaningful, and capable of influencing decisions rather than simply explaining them after the fact?

• How does the club intend to demonstrate that its current strategy can deliver sustained sporting success, financial stability, and a recognisable Chelsea identity in a way that rebuilds supporter trust?

"These are not unreasonable questions. They are questions the club now owes its supporters an answer to. Supporter confidence is not static. Without meaningful change, it will continue to erode. The longer this continues, the more difficult it becomes to repair the relationship between the club and its supporters. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust remains willing to engage constructively. That has been our approach throughout.

"But constructive engagement cannot mean repeatedly presenting evidence of serious supporter concern without seeing a response that matches its seriousness. Chelsea Football Club’s ownership and senior leadership have had time, money, upheaval, and a clear warning from their supporters. They have not yet earned trust. It is the responsibility of those who lead the club to address that now - clearly and decisively. We look forward to your response and to seeing this addressed with the urgency it requires."