Blues farce shows this Government cannot be trusted

LESS than a year ago, Chelsea were the champions of Europe. it needed superhuman mismanagement to steer them to the brink of extinction within a matter of weeks, but this Government has delivered it. Having assumed stewardship in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, their foolish deadlines and absence of acumen risk taking the most successful club of the last decade — two league titles, two Champions league titles, two Europa league titles, two FA Cups, the league Cup, the FiFA Club World Cup and the UEFA super Cup — out of existence. impressive. Takes some doing. Even Bury weren’t wiped off the face of the earth. And this is Chelsea. Their name alone is a licence to print money. Yet, having failed to come up with so much as a means of selling match tickets to fill stamford Bridge, the Government are now talking as if the future of the club is in genuine doubt: 117 years of history, gone. still, to make their poor case for regulation, the same politicians will pontificate about clubs like Bury who unsurprisingly struggled in an area of the country that houses Manchester United, Manchester City, liverpool and Everton. Yet if they can’t manage Chelsea, how could their regulatory appointees be trusted with the running of clubs down the pyramid, where skilled financial management is key? Nigel Huddleston, the sports minister, encapsulates the intellectual shortcomings. Remember last week when he talked about seizing £1billion from premier league clubs, if they couldn’t reach agreement on providing extra funds for the EFl? Think about that negotiation now. Having told the EFl they will be gifted £1bn if no deal is struck, what motivation is there for Rick parry to reach an agreement? it would be like a divorcing couple haggling over the house. The judge steps in and says that, unless they come to a settlement, he is going to give it to the wife. That’s the end of the negotiation, isn’t it? Why would she seek a parlayed outcome now? Do nothing and she’s getting the house. she has a vested interest in there being no resolution. so do the EFl, thanks to Huddleston. This is an example of the ministerial brains that have been brought to bear on Chelsea. No wonder they are in trouble.