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Chelsea star accused of 'worst possible insult' after suspension
Tom Weber
- Updated: 19 Dec 2025 18:41 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf believes that Strasbourg were right to suspend captain Emmanuel Emegha after he was guilty of the "worst possible insult."
The Netherlands international has found it difficult to stay out of the headlines in what has been a very turbulent season. Emegha angered Strasbourg supporters with his decision to join Chelsea in 2026, which was announced mere weeks after receiving the captain's armband.
This sparked protests from the club's most vocal fan groups, resulting in the club tightening security and implementing restrictions on the banners supporters are allowed to display at games.
Current ETV
Emmanuel Emegha
F (C)
Strasbourg
Emmanuel Emegha
F (C)
Strasbourg
ETV Range
€23.6M - €28.8M
Amid all this chaos, Emegha suffered an injury that kept him out of action for several weeks. During his spell on the sidelines, Strasbourg drew with PSG and lost to Monaco, which the striker controversially put down to his absence.
He again caused a stir when he revealed to Dutch media that he had no idea where Strasbourg was when he joined the club and that he believed the city was located in Germany. As a result, the club felt it necessary to suspend him for last weekend's game against Toulouse.
Leboeuf: Emegha comments were the 'worst possible insult'
Emegha's geographical ignorance hit a nerve due to the contested history of the Alsace region. For centuries, France and Germany were engaged in bloody struggles for this valuable part of Europe.
The names of Strasbourg's districts are an eclectic mix of French and German, illustrating the varied history of the city. In the Middle Ages, Strasbourg was an imperial city in the Holy Roman Empire and an important centre of humanist thought and the Reformation.
French king Louis XIV conquered the city in 1681, before it changed hands again after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The territory was returned to France after World War I, reconquered by the Nazis in 1940, and finally liberated by French forces in 1944.
According to Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf, who played for Strasbourg between 1991 and 1996, Emegha was guilty of the "worst possible insult" with his ignorant comment and deserved his suspension. "I understand the club’s actions," he told GFFN.
"I also said things in the media when I was a player, and you forget that you’re part of a business, an infrastructure, and you need to be careful what you say.
"The club is right to protect the institution and to punish the player. You need to be careful what you say and how you act - it’s a business, not a holiday club!
“That’s the worst possible insult for the Strasbourgeois. That area kept being flipped between France and Germany - you’re touching on historical sensitivities. So you have to mind what you say.
“I spent five and a half years at Strasbourg and, along with Chelsea, they were the happiest years of my life because, as a footballer, I experienced amazing emotions with amazing people.”
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