“BlueCo aren’t welcome and never will be,” reads the statement published by Ultra Boys 90, RC Strasbourg Alsace’s largest supporters group.
Fan protests have become a regular occurrence at RCSA since BlueCo’s takeover of the club in June. Only last month, Fédération Supporters RCS, another major fan group, released a highly critical and highly detailed statement, denouncing the club’s new owners.
Frequent anti-BlueCo protests at the Meinau
“Money without competence doesn’t lead to anything good, and the example of Chelsea, our so-called ‘big brother’, who have spent a lot of money but have had a vertical fall down the English hierarchy, is an important reference point: We don’t want to incompetence that reigns at Chelsea at RCSA. Neither directly, nor indirectly,” read the statement.
Banners reading “Non à la multipropriété”, meaning “No to multi-club ownership” in English, have also adorned the stands of the Meinau for much of the season.
UB90 have now added their voice to a growing chorus of discontent at the Alsace club. Their criticism came before Saturday night’s match against Olympique de Marseille, and it came amidst a significant downturn in form. After winning their first two games of the season, they are now without a win since 24th September. Strasbourg are, however, undefeated in their last three games.
A malaise that transcends form
The club’s overly youthful and “unrelatable” first team has been a point of contestation throughout the season and UB90 have now called the team “unworthy” of the club and directed an unequivocal message to BlueCo: “Between the multi-club ownership that we can never accept and the destructive sporting policy, it is now time to say things clearly: BlueCo is not welcome at the Meinau and never will be.”
Whilst recent poor results likely exacerbate the unease towards the novel multi-club ownership, there is a more deep-rooted contestation that is linked to the strong regional culture surrounding RCSA and the transcendental “values” that define the club. An uptick in form is unlikely to alleviate the tensions, which began when rumours of BlueCo’s potential takeover first surfaced.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
