English Premier League (EPL) Chelsea fans are having days of disappointment these days. It is also dissatisfying that the EPL score has fallen to 11th place, but the European Champions League, which was the last hope, was also eliminated powerlessly after being defeated 0-2 by Real Madrid in the second leg of the quarterfinals on the 19th.
Fans leaving Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s home stadium, before the match was over, pouring out complaints about owner Todd Boelli.
In fact, the owner of Boelli was loved by fans just a year ago. He was a hero who took over Chelsea from former owner Roman Abramovich, who was expelled for his involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, in the transfer market last summer, immediately after the acquisition, it seemed that a rosy future was guaranteed as it spent 254 million pounds, the highest in the EPL, and concentrated on reinforcing its power.
However, Boelli’s owner’s repeated eccentricities ruined everything. Cutting Thomas Tuchel was the beginning of misfortune. The result of entrusting the baton to Graham Porter, who had no experience with a big club, was a catastrophic failure. In the end, after Porter was sacked in April due to sluggish performance, Frank Lampard, who had to be left only as a memory, was put back in the temporary command tower. Lampard had only a disastrous record of 4 consecutive defeats for the first time in Chelsea’s 118-year history.
In the meantime, the owner’s unreasonable behavior in and out of the locker room became a laughing stock. Former Arsenal manager Argen Wenger (now FIFA global director) even advised, “The next manager should be guaranteed a provision to prevent interference from the owner.”
What makes Chelsea fans even more upset is the resurgence of Arsenal, where Wenger spent his prime as manager. Arsenal, who had become an ugly neighbor, is in first place in the 2022-2023 season. Arsenal are four points ahead of runner-up Manchester City, who have played one game less. Although it is a somewhat unstable lead, winning for the first time in 19 years after the 2003-2004 season is not a dream.
Arsenal owner Stan Cranky, who took the opposite step from Chelsea owner, stands out for his patience and the temperament of a matchmaker. Cranky knows very well that hardship is not the best. In the case of coach Arteta, who first started as manager at Arsenal, it is representative that he did not harden even though he was sluggish with 4 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses (14 points) in 14 games at the beginning of the 2020-2021 season, his second season in charge. In particular, the scene in which Cranky’s son Josh expresses his trust in Arteta was released through a documentary program and drew attention.
Of course, the owner of Cranky was not a popular figure with fans either. It’s because he didn’t open his wallet hotly like Bo Elly. In fact, when Daniel Ek, the founder of the music streaming service Spotify, showed interest in acquiring Arsenal, fans were excited. However, Cranky spent money last summer, when he considered it the right time to challenge for the championship. He is looking forward to the last fruit harvest as he brings in Gabriel Jesus, Olesandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira.
This is not the first time Cranky has had such a competitive temperament. Known as an American sports conglomerate,안전놀이터 he owns all of the four major sports except MBL. Coincidentally, last year the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) reached the top of the Super Bowl, and the Colorado Avalanche of the North American Ice Hockey League (NHL) won the Stanley Cup. If Arsenal lifts the EPL championship cup, the number of fans who sing the virtues of the owner may increase once again. Of course, it’s a heartbreaking reality for Chelsea fans.