Chelsea’s owners have ‘DESTROYED’ the club, insists Frank Lebouef – as ex-Blues defender labels his old side ‘unprofessional’ with players lacking ‘brain and heart’ in rant after Burnley draw
- The Chelsea legend hit out at the club’s board and players after Saturday’s draw
- 10-man Burnley twice came from behind at Stamford Bridge to claim a point
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Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has launched a scathing review of his former club after Saturday’s 2-2 draw against 10-man Burnley, slamming the board for ‘destroying’ the Blues and fuming that the current players are ‘nothing have in their heads’.
Mauricio Pochettino’s miserable first season at Stamford Bridge took another negative turn as Chelsea failed to claim victory against a depleted Burnley team who have spent most of the season in the relegation zone.
Vincent Kompany’s side scored twice in the second half to cancel out Cole Palmer’s brace despite playing most of the match with 10 men after Lorenz Assignon was sent off in the 40th minute.
Boos reverberated at full-time in Chelsea’s 40,000-seat stadium – as they have done several times this season – and Leboeuf took aim at the club’s hierarchy, chaired by Todd Boehly, in the aftermath.
‘Sorry, but the people on the board have destroyed this club. That’s what you’re going to have to deal with. How do you rebuild that? I don’t know, it will take a long time,” he said ESPN.
Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has launched a scathing review of his former club following Saturday’s 2-2 draw against 10-man Burnley
Leboeuf slammed Chelsea – led by Todd Boehly (left) and Behdad Eghbali (right) – for ‘destroying’ the club
Chelsea gave up their lead twice on Saturday against ten-man Burnley at Stamford Bridge
Burnley’s Dara O’Shea (right) scored late in the match to rescue a 2–2 draw for the visitors
‘I’ve talked about it a lot and I’m tired of repeating myself… as long as you don’t have people you can rely on, i.e. experienced players, you can’t build anything. This is what you face when you try to build an Academy team.”
Leboeuf’s ire has largely been directed at co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who have overseen one of the worst periods in Chelsea’s recent history since taking over ownership in 2022.
Chelsea’s transfer spend has risen above £1 billion during the duo’s four transfer spells, but no improvements followed as the Blues remain in 11th place in the Premier League table.
Questionable recruitment has seen the six-time Premier League champions prioritize promising talents over more experienced players. A decision that seems to have had an adverse effect.
The club spent £88m on Mykhailo Mudryk and £107m on Enzo Fernandez last year before breaking the English transfer record again with the £115m acquisition of Moises Caicedo at the start of the season. All three have largely underperformed.
Burnley’s draw was not a result of the visitors holding on to a point as they remained organized in deterring Chelsea’s attack before launching counters of their own, and Leboeuf felt Pochettino’s side were ‘unprofessional’.
“The Chelsea players have no stamina, nothing in their hearts, nothing in their brains, they don’t know what to do,” he added.
‘It is unprofessional and unfair to the people who love this club. I am tired of it. 10-man Burnley should have won the match. Chelsea Football Club vs Burnley… that’s the end.
“I would like to congratulate the fans that they can still go to Stamford Bridge to watch that,” Leboeuf said.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was furious when his team lost their lead against Burnley
A Chelsea fan group recently accused the board of creating ‘irreversible toxicity’ at the club
Leboeuf speaks from experience after making 203 appearances for the Blues during a five-year spell between 1996 and 2001
The Frenchman speaks from a position of experience having made 203 appearances for the Blues during a five-year spell between 1996 and 2001.
His comments follow those from a Chelsea fan group who recently blamed Boehly and the board for creating ‘irreversible toxicity’ at the club, while Pochettino has also come under pressure from supporters this season.
Mail Sport revealed that Boehly will be ousted as chairman in 2027, with majority shareholder Clearlake looking to bring in a new figurehead, while Pochettino’s future is also under scrutiny.
The Argentine is contracted until the end of next season with the option of a further year but is under pressure to make improvements after receiving support in the transfer market but struggling to find consistency.