Strasbourg president Marc Keller has insisted that they will not become a short-stay destination for young Chelsea players after the Premier League giants yesterday confirmed a full takeover of the Ligue 1 outfit.
Keller will remain in the role and there are presently no plans to change the club’s off-field structure and he believes that BlueCo, the parent company run by Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and the US-based private equity fund Clearlake Capital, will pump in significant money to turn the French club into a team capable of pushing towards the upper echelons of the domestic game.
But amid immediate complaints from supporters, who fear their team is to become a satellite club used to assist Chelsea, the former midfielder has promised that they will not be forced into taking young players on loan.
“No, we have the same shareholder but we will be sister clubs with separate management,” Keller told l’Equipe. “This is not the project. We had meetings with the sports sector to define our objectives. We will have superior means to be more ambitious.
"Loic Desire [the current director of football] will have the hand to discuss the players that might interest us, if there are any. They must also want to come to our house.”
In terms of the club’s governance Keller said “my teams remain in place. BlueCo wanted to rely on the people already present and wants to retain them. BlueCo’s desire is to give new means to strengthen the ambition of a project that works.”
Strasbourg’s current annual budget is around €60m and Keller said that they needed additional investment to be able to compete in the top half of the French league.
Talks over a potential deal began in January and Keller last month visited Chelsea’s Cobham base.
There had been an initial expectation that BlueCo would purchase part of Strasbourg but Keller, who spent three years playing in West Ham United’s midfield, confirmed that they have bought the entire club.
He added: “They will invest significantly so that we can continue our development and have greater ambitions. We wanted a partner with a large financial surface, ready to invest in the club - first team and academy - with experience in sport who will rely on our model. BlueCo ticked all the boxes.”
The Strasbourg chief also said that he does not envisage BlueCo emulating Manchester City’s owners by purchasing clubs on six continents. “Others have chosen to aggregate a dozen clubs, this is not BlueCo’s model.”
In a statement yesterday evening, BlueCo said: “It is an honour for us to be part of this historic club. We are committed to preserving the legacy of Racing and to working closely with Marc and his management team to continue the excellent work they have done.
"This strategic investment would strengthen our presence in European football, alongside our stake in Chelsea. We believe it would create tremendous opportunities for sharing knowledge and expertise."
