Chelsea owner Todd Boehly breaks silence after fans stage angry protests before Southampton clash and call on owners to 'get out of our club'

The Blues fans are frustrated with Boehly's reign at Stamford Bridge as the club is yet to find success on the field despite spending over £1bn on transfer fees in the last two and a half years. Since Clearlake and Boehly became majority shareholders in 2022, the West London side have finished 12th and sixth in the last two Premier League seasons. During this period, four different managers have been in charge of the club, including Frank Lampard's interim stint, but the team has still failed to achieve any major success. The 2024/25 campaign saw Enzo Maresca take charge of the club, and they made a promising start to the season, however, their form dropped off alarmingly heading into the Southampton game on Tuesday, with just three wins from their last 12 matches.

Ahead of the Southampton clash, which Chelsea won 4-0, a group of fans gathered outside Stamford Bridge to vent their frustrations and urge owners to "get out of our club". Now the American business has addressed the grievances of the supporters as he urged them to remain patient.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Boehly said: "I just think it is par for the course. The sooner you learn you are not going to keep all the people happy all the time, the freedom shows up. We are just trying to execute a plan and recognise things aren't linear, and we are trending in the right direction.

"The trend is moving in the right direction and that's the thing that really matters. In June, it will be three years in charge. That's not a lot of time, especially when you get to 50, 60 or 70 years old in life. It's a whirlwind of activity and steep learning curve, but I think that's also a good thing."

Enzo Maresca's side will be back in action on March 6 as they take on Copenhagen in the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 fixture.