Todd Boehly has acted quickly to make a managerial change at RC Strasbourg, just days after the club came under the Chelsea ownership's control.
The American's first year in charge at Stamford Bridge saw four different managers take charge of first team games, with incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino due to become the fifth to lead the team out in the space of 12 months. Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both sacked by Boehly, while Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard both oversaw games in a caretaker capacity.
Boehly and Clearlake Capital have purchased a significant stake in Strasbourg, who finished 15th in Ligue 1 last season. Frederic Antonetti ended the season in charge, helping stave off relegation fears, but he will not be in charge for the first season under new ownership.
A club statement from Strasbourg has confirmed the club and Antonetti have mutually agreed to part ways. The 61-year-old led the team to 22 points from 15 games, including a draw against champions Paris Saint-Germain.
“Frédéric had a job to do and he did it perfectly,” president Marc Keller said. “It’s been a tough season and we’ve given ourselves some time to breathe. He’s done a great job and I’d like to thank him. We moved forward hand in hand, in a relationship of mutual trust and esteem. I have a lot of respect for Fred.
"We’ve known each other for years, but we’d never had the opportunity to work together, and I was very impressed by his ability to get everyone back together, restore confidence and recreate a dynamic in a delicate period.
"But a new cycle is starting and I’m convinced that it’s better to end on this good note. We both agree on that. So, I took the decision and informed the new shareholder, who endorsed it.“
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Antonetti also referenced the new ownership in his parting message. The manager, who had previously taken charge of clubs including Metz and Nice, thanked Keller as well as the club's shareholders, players and staff.
"A new era is dawning with the arrival of new investors who will provide the club with new resources," he said. "I wish them every success in this League 1, which is undergoing profound changes. The people of Strasbourg deserve it."
Keller, who spent time in English football as a player with West Ham, has insisted the new ownership will not change the fact that Chelsea and Strasbourg will remain independent of one another. "Loic Desire [the current director of football] will have the hand to discuss the players that might interest us, if there are any," he told L'Equipe, adding that "They must also want to come to our house."
While Strasbourg struggled last term, they finished the 2021-22 season in sixth place, just three points shy of European qualification. However, Julien Stephan - the man in charge for that finish - was dismissed in January with the club down in 19th before they eventually recovered under Antonetti.
