During the Ligue 1 match between Lens and Strasbourg this Saturday, Lensois supporters displayed a particularly noticeable banner in the Bollaert aisles: “One love: Blueco, make a choice, polygamy is prohibited”. Through this message, they wanted to provide their support to Alsatian fans, while openly criticizing the multi-ownership exercised by BlueCo, the consortium which owns both Chelsea and RC Strasbourg.
Since the takeover of the club, some Strasbourg supporters have expressed deep unease. Even if sporting results remain generally satisfactory, many denounce a loss of identity and a form of structural dependence on Chelsea. Racing is seen as a part of a vast network, more than as a sovereign club guided by its own ambitions.
One of the moments which crystallized these tensions dates back a few months: the Emanuel Emegha episode, then captain of RC Strasbourg. The formalization of his future arrival at Chelsea had sparked a strong reaction from certain ultras, who saw in this anticipated transfer a symbol of the status of a “satellite club”. This affair had left its mark, revealing the divide between part of the public and management.
The Lensois banner is therefore part of a broader climate of protest against the multi-club model. Speaking of “polygamy”, supporters denounce a system where investors’ love is divided between several entities, while fans only know one. A clear way of reminding us that, for them, football remains above all a story of unique attachment and not of a shared wallet.
