The Racing Club of Strasbourg struck a big blow on Friday evening in the race for Europe. Opposed to Olympique Lyonnais, the men of Liam Rosenior released the big game to offer themselves a precious victory (4-2) and thus climb, temporarily, in fifth in our championship. With 13 wins, 7 draws and 7 defeats, the Alsatian club can even continue to dream in a possible qualification for the next Champions League while OM, second, is only three small points. Yes but here, if the sporting success of the Strasbourg formation is, today, undeniable, another warm subject is a lot of talk on the side of the Meinau.
City Group, Ineos and Redbird Capital as a case law
As a reminder, the RCSA has recently been bought by Blueco, a consortium bringing together leading investors such as Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, who are both American businessmen, as well as Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss businessman. In addition composed of Clearlake Capital, one of the greatest investment funds in the world, Blueco does not, however, hold that Strasbourg. After the departure of Roman Abramovitch, the American owners had, in fact, also got their hands on Chelsea. What confirm the development of the multi -ownership in the world of football and push the authorities to rewrite their text to supervise this model.
City Group (Girona, Manchester City in C1) and Ineos (Nice, Manchester United in C3) served as an example and the first room of the financial control organ of UEFA clubs had then opened a procedure against these four clubs to demand significant changes. “No one is involved in simultaneous management, in the fields of management, administration and/or sports performance, of more than one club taking part in European competitions”notably noted the body, more than ever determined to supervise the participation of two brothers clubs in the same European Cup. Changes that Toulouse and AC Milan, Properties of Redbird Capital, had also had to operate.
Legal adjustments to be provided
Several members of Redbird had thus resigned from the Toulouse board of directors and the two clubs had carried out “Significant changes concerning the structure of ownership, governance and financing, considerably restricting the influence and decision-making power of investors on more than one club, thus guaranteeing compliance with the multi-club property rule”. So many adjustments that Strasbourg and Chelsea are likely to have to do in the coming months. As a reminder, the RCSA, fifth of L1, and Chelsea, the fourth of the Premier League, could well compete in the same European Cup next season, whether the Europa League or the Champions League.
Starting from this postulate, Alsatians and Londoners will have to react, starting with the purely legal aspect. In this perspective, if Jeffrey Wilbur, which is part of the simplified joint -stock company (SAS) Blueco Alsace – has no official function in Chelsea and therefore does not pose a problem, James Pade, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley – three other actors in this SAS but more than ever involved in the Blues project – will have to leave one or the other on paper. Yes but here, in addition to these legal developments and this game of scriptures – which seems largely affordable to meet the requirements of UEFA – the sporting question remains. “Clubs do not have the possibility of making players of players or loans, to set up commercial cooperation or to share scouting databases”had, in fact, recalled, UEFA.
A strongly impacted sports policy
And it is there that the rub with this declaration of the body chaired by Aleksander Ceferin, Chelsea – which provides its expertise to the Alsatian club – will no longer be able to do and the playing of players between the two training courses will no longer be authorized. A huge slowdown in the Blueco project when we know that RCSA is used today by consortium to develop young players, up to three loans. Andrey Santos, ângelo, Caleb Wiley (since he left) or Djordje Petrovic have notably illustrated this policy. A policy finally about to end when other loans, for the 2025-2026 season, had however already been scheduled (Mathis Amougou, Kendry Paez). Last example? That of Mamadou Sarr.
Today under the colors of Strasbourg and linked to the Alsatian training until June 2029, the young defender of 19 years is expected in the coming months on the side of London while a pre-agreement already exists (20M € bonus included). A transaction which will therefore not be able to be done if Strasbourg and Chelsea were to participate in the same European competition, which had already happened in the past in a certain Jean-Clair Todibo, prohibited from leaving the OGC Nice for Manchester United and which finally rebounded on the side of West Ham. You will understand, if Strasbourg and Chelsea can congratulate themselves to have a 2024-2025 season hitherto very convincing, in the coming months, they could lead to profound changes within the two clubs … So, the multi-ownership of clubs, real opportunity or real threat?
