Patrick Viera rips into Chelsea owners after opening up on ‘regrettable experience’ at Strasbourg | OneFootball

Former RC Strasbourg manager Patrick Viera has opened up about his difficult time working with Chelsea owners who also own the French club.

The Senegal-born French manager claims his biggest challenge was not on the pitch but behind the scenes during his short-lived spell at the Ligue 1 club.

In a recent interview, the former France international admitted that working under Chelsea’s ownership was far from straightforward.

Vieira took over Strasbourg in 2023 after the club was purchased by the Todd Boehly-led BlueCo investment group that also owns Chelsea.

However, his stay lasted just one season before both sides agreed to end the partnership.

According to him, many key decisions were made from London, making it difficult for the coaching staff to fully influence the team’s direction. 

“I was fortunate to start with Manchester City, which has clubs all over the world,” Viera told RMC.

“There, things were very coherent, and there were clear relationships regarding squad building and decision-making. The coach was part of those decisions.

“In Strasbourg, new leaders have arrived in football. They may be struggling to understand how things work and, above all, the importance of the coach within an organisation.

“From that point on, it was a difficult experience in terms of relationships. It was hard to coach a team when decisions had to be made from London.”

Vieira also expressed sympathy for Strasbourg’s supporters, many of whom have openly criticised BlueCo’s ownership model. 

He praised the club’s passionate fan base and claimed to understand why supporters were frustrated with the way the club was being run after what he described as a “regrettable experience”.

He also made it clear that his departure from the club was a mutual agreement that came after he no longer felt he was an important part of the long-term project.

“I didn’t feel I was being considered in this project,” he added. “So from that point on, it was better to shake hands and for everyone to go their separate ways.

“It was a fairly quick, rather short discussion. When you want to part ways with a coach, you create situations that make him feel uneasy too.”

Over the years, Chelsea have used the multi-club system to their advantage, with Valentin Barco the latest player to make the jump from Ligue 1 to the Premier League through the ownership structure.