By Martin Graham
The American ownership group behind Chelsea is actively working to ensure compliance with UEFA regulations in the event that both the Premier League club and their French affiliate, Strasbourg, qualify for the same European tournament. Current rules from European football’s governing body prohibit individuals or entities from exerting influence over two clubs participating in the same competition.
To address this, BlueCo – the ownership consortium behind both clubs – is preparing to adjust the structure of their control. Discussions with UEFA have been ongoing since January, aimed at creating a compliant model that would allow both Chelsea and Strasbourg to take part in the Champions League or another European competition if they qualify.
One solution being explored is placing Strasbourg into a so-called “blind trust,” thereby separating the operational control from the owners of Chelsea. This move would also involve removing any shared personnel or overlapping board members between the two teams to avoid conflicts of interest.
UEFA has two established paths for resolving multi-club ownership conflicts in European competitions. The first involves reducing ownership stakes in one of the clubs. This was the approach taken by Brighton’s Tony Bloom, who lessened his share in Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise. The second method is to transfer one of the clubs into a blind trust, shielding it from influence by shared owners.
BlueCo appears to be taking the second route with Strasbourg. Other ownership groups have made similar changes. Nottingham Forest’s Evangelos Marinakis recently altered his ownership structure, stepping down as a key decision-maker at the club’s holding company. This was done to avoid breaching UEFA’s rules, as his Greek side Olympiacos is poised to enter the Champions League.
Likewise, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who controls French side Nice and Swiss team Lausanne-Sport through Ineos, restructured those clubs into blind trusts. City Football Group followed a similar path by placing Spanish club Girona into a trust to sidestep regulatory issues.
Strasbourg are enjoying a strong run under English manager Liam Rosenior and remain unbeaten since the March international break. A recent victory against league leaders Paris Saint-Germain has boosted their chances of a top-three Ligue 1 finish. They will need wins in their remaining matches against Angers and Le Havre to realistically contend for a Champions League spot. If successful, it would be their best league finish since 1979, achieved with the youngest team in Europe’s top five leagues.
Chelsea currently sit fifth in the English Premier League and face a critical end to the season with matches against Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest. Should both teams fail to secure a Champions League place, they could both qualify for the Europa League instead.
In the event that both clubs compete in the same European tournament, UEFA regulations would prohibit any transfer activity between them, regardless of ownership structure. Despite potential changes in governance, Chelsea’s owners remain committed to Strasbourg following their £64 million acquisition of the French club in 2023, continuing their investment both on and off the pitch.
