Chelsea fans plan formal protest after Maresca departure

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 3 Jan 2026 17:07 GMT
• 3 min read

News

Chelsea fans are planning a protest against the leadership of the club following the departure of Enzo Maresca, claiming that the Premier League giants are no “Brighton or Red Bull”.

The manager departed the club on New Year's Day, with his shock exit caused by a dispute behind the scenes as opposed to the difficult run of form the Blues currently find themselves on.

FootballTransfers exclusively reported that a fallout with a senior figure behind the scenes was the key factor to his exit, and it has since emerged that co-owner Behdad Eghbali, the key powerbroker at the club, was the man he clashed with.

Maresca, though, was a popular figure among the Stamford Bridge supporters, who are angry that he has been allowed to leave.

Now they are ready to direct their ire towards Eghbali, with a formal protest planned ahead of the Premier League clash against Brentford on 17 January.

What are Chelsea’s supporters protesting against?

Chelsea fans are set to attack the board on four key points, according to a statement released by the ‘Not A Project’ group, with Maresca’s departure simply the catalyst that has caused them to act.

Blues fans claim that the club’s youth-led recruitment strategy looks unlikely to turn the team into title contenders.

Further to this, they believe that the ever-changing nature of the squad, which has been left unbalanced and inexperienced, has unfairly left managers to carry the responsibility.

In turn, this has led to managerial chaos, suggesting that Liam Rosenior is an underwhelming appointment to replace Maresca. The statement adds that the incoming manager, who will be picked to fit a niche, will face the same structural issues that handicapped his predecessors.

Ultimately, the statement adds, the structure that BlueCo and Eghbali has tried to impose as failed, claiming that strategy and not resources is the key issue facing the Blues.

Eghbali sent warning

And Eghbali has been sent a stark warning:

“This is only the beginning. Chelsea supporters have a proud history of standing up for what matters. We did it with the Super League. We’re doing it again now. Together, we are stronger. Together, we demand better for our club.”