‘No to Ricketts’- Chelsea Fans Launch Protest Against Chicago Cubs Owners’ Interest After Roman Abramovich Departure

Chelsea FC has gone through a tough few weeks ever since the war between Russia and Ukraine began. Their owner, Roman Abramovich, had to put the club up for sale because of his links to the Russian government, but that wasn’t enough.

The UK government sanctioned the Russian Oligarch, and all of his assets were frozen, including Chelsea. Along with Roman, the club were also put under a lot of sanctions. These would end only when they get a new owner. However, the process is taking some time, and the club’s fans are protesting against the latest bidders.

Chelsea fans don’t want the Ricketts family at the club

The Ricketts family made a bid to buy the London club and are among the final four parties to do so. They also own a club in the MLB, the Chicago Cubs, since 2009. Thomas Ricketts is the official chairman of the club, and his sister Laura Ricketts is the co-owner.

However, Chelsea fans have vehemently opposed their bid to buy their club, citing several issues. The gravest of them all was the fact that Joe Ricketts, Thomas and Laura’s father, made some racist remarks against the Muslim community.

Several fans staged a protest outside Stamford Bridge before the game against Brentford. In a survey conducted by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, 77% of the fans do not want the Ricketts family to own the club.

Thomas Ricketts promises diversity at the heart of the club

The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust asked Thomas Ricketts to publicly address the concerns of the fans. The American responded and revealed that his team had met with several supporter groups and shared a set of commitments with them.

Moreover, he also added that he would meet with the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust to reiterate where their values and principles stand.

“We believe these are far-reaching and certainly include an absolute commitment on the part of the Ricketts family and the bid team to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of the club,” Thomas Ricketts said.

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