Chelsea Owner, Roman Abramovich and Club Board have issued an open letter apology, admitting that they ‘deeply regret’ their Super League plans.
Opening the letter in which they spoke of their ambition of making Chelsea ‘the best club in the world’, Chelsea’s board explained that their decision to join a failed European Super League (ESL) was ‘driven’ by that very aim in order to keep competitive pace with their rivals.
Chelsea also spoke of their commitment to ‘open and regular dialogue’ with fans and various stakeholders, in which they pointed to time and confidentiality restrictions preventing from such discussions in this instant.
Following the backlash across the following 48 hours after Sunday’s late night announcement, Chelsea’s Board stepped back from these plans to hold discussions with supporters which led to a reversal in their decision and chose to leave the Super League.
Acknowledging that there is strong ‘sentiment’ about the ‘sporting merit’ of the Super League, Chelsea confirmed that they had intended to address those concerns during further consultations with the eleven other breakaway clubs even though those discussions should of been had earlier.
The club also spoke of their belief that football should ‘protect a structure which allows all clubs, players and supporters to dream of, and achieve, success.’
Ultimately reflecting on their involvement in the ESL plans, both Abramovich and the Board admitted that this is something which they ‘deeply regret’ amidst ‘potential damage to the Club’s reputation’, especially regarding the Chelsea Foundation work.
Both Abramovich and the Board now vow to ‘constantly strive to improve’ and welcome debate about how the club moves forward, whilst pleading for ‘the benefit of the doubt’ due to having the club’s interests at their heart.
It however is accepted that the road to ‘rebuild the trust of the supporters’ will be hard, whilst renewing their commitment to listen and engage with fans in an improved way in the future through consultations with supporter groups concerning fan representation.
Leave a Reply