Chelsea face FA Cup final without permanent manager as protests loom

Chelsea go into the FA Cup final without a permanent manager, an angry fanbase and a question over whether beating Manchester City at Wembley would salvage their season.

Lifting the trophy would please supporters, but concerns about the campaign and anger toward the Clearlake-Boehly ownership group are expected to remain.

A draw at Liverpool last weekend stopped Chelsea from becoming the first team to lose seven straight league matches before an FA Cup final. It did little to change their Premier League standing. They sit ninth and their pre-season target of Champions League qualification is all but gone.

Victory on Saturday would at least secure a place in the Europa League, a result that would be welcomed by players and the club's hierarchy.

The club is operating under strict Uefa financial controls after a settlement last year that limits spending. It is still searching for a new head coach. Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva and former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso are among the names on the shortlist. Chelsea sources say the race is open, but Alonso is viewed externally as the leading candidate.

Former head coach Enzo Maresca left after a falling out with the hierarchy on New Year's Day. Many believe he has been lined up to succeed Pep Guardiola at City if Guardiola departs. Maresca's replacement, Liam Rosenior, was hired from partner club Strasbourg but lasted less than four months. Interim head coach Calum McFarlane is the first Englishman to lead a team into an FA Cup final since Frank Lampard did so with Chelsea in 2020.

McFarlane earned a point in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium in January in his first senior match in charge, but Guardiola's team remain firm favourites.

A win would give Chelsea their first domestic trophy since 2018. It would be unlikely to ease supporter anger at Stamford Bridge.

Not A Project CFC, a protest movement, has announced a march up Wembley Way at 13:30 BST before the match. It will feature a large banner focusing on BlueCo's ownership and the club's sporting directors. Three days later, during Chelsea's final home match of the season against Tottenham, supporters plan to turn their backs on the action in the 22nd minute, a reference to 2022, the year BlueCo bought the club.

The group said the protest was an attempt to send a public message that fans have no faith in the current ownership and the direction the club is heading. It added that the demonstrations would not stop simply because Chelsea are set to appoint their sixth permanent manager.

Frustration centres on footballing issues, including what supporters see as an underwhelming return on spending of more than £1.6bn on predominantly young players. They are calling for accountability from the five sporting directors who have led recruitment.

The movement is separate from the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, which has offered more measured criticism while focusing on securing a fairer ticketing policy. Chelsea say they are listening and that accountability is built into their system.

There is anger within the club at Chelsea's slide down the table, which is partly attributed to Maresca surprising officials by leaving midway through the campaign. That made the decision to recruit Rosenior more appealing. Unlike Maresca, Rosenior departed on good terms, but after losing the backing of parts of the dressing room it was felt an interim appointment such as McFarlane offered a better chance of success in both the FA Cup and the Premier League.

The club say they are in a period of self-reflection but have not deviated from their aim of building a winning team or seeking greater stability in the head coach role. Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali acknowledges the club have not done that right yet when picking a head coach and will tweak their transfer policy to sign more experienced players.

Rosenior tried to stamp his authority and improve the culture by dropping players such as Enzo Fernandez after his comments about a move to Madrid. Criticism of the project has also come from Marc Cucurella. The Fernandez decision had little positive impact and occurred during a run of six defeats in a row without scoring, Chelsea's worst sequence in 114 years.

Reece James and Moises Caicedo have both recently signed new contracts, while Cole Palmer has denied suggestions he is seeking a move to Manchester United. Joao Pedro is also being linked with a move to Barcelona but is deemed not for sale. He told BBC Sport this week that he is very happy at the club.

In a separate interview with UK newspapers before the final, Romeo Lavia said criticism that the players downed tools was tough to hear. The squad have also faced criticism about their culture and lack of leadership. Joao Pedro, who has emerged as one of the leaders despite joining in the summer, added: "In the difficult moment you want to see who wants to win, who want to improve. We have had a tough moment in the Premier League. I spoke with everyone here, especially with Reece. We need to change. We need to do something as players. We have conversations between us and everyone is very committed to improve and put Chelsea where it deserves."

Chelsea have not beaten Man City since the 2021 Champions League final, when the club was still owned by Roman Abramovich. City's 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions against them, including 10 wins, is one Chelsea have not endured since before Abramovich transformed the club following his takeover in 2003.

Chelsea were already in decline by the time BlueCo took control, having become the first team in English football history under Abramovich to lose three successive FA Cup finals and six consecutive domestic cup finals. All of this feeds into a broader identity crisis, with supporters yearning for a return to the early Abramovich era but experiencing similar managerial turnover under the American ownership without the same consistent success.

Interim managers have won major honours before. Guus Hiddink lifted the FA Cup in 2009, Roberto di Matteo led Chelsea to their first Champions League title in 2012, and Rafa Benitez followed a year later by winning the Europa League. Chelsea are a club that have often thrived amid chaos, while other clubs have failed to translate more stable leadership into trophies.

"Well, we just won two trophies last year, so, you know, it kind of depends - a rough patch for whom?" fellow Clearlake co-founder Jose Feliciano told Bloomberg. "Arsenal hasn't won in 20 years, as far as I have checked - or maybe they've won something - but anyway, we have just won two trophies."

Chelsea are attempting to move away from chaos and into the stability seen at Arsenal or previously at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. They have five sporting directors, a squad built around young players on long-term contracts, and are still searching for a head coach to bring coherence to the project.

Asked whether the protests have a hint of entitlement, Jacob from Not A Project CFC said: "There's a bigger disconnect across the fanbase than I can remember in over 30 years. Nothing has been done to bridge that gap. Some may call us entitled. Yes, we've had things to cheer about - like a couple of trophies over the summer - but that papered over cracks. They had a platform to move forward but took us further back. We have standards built over the last 20 years and they haven't been met."

Winning the FA Cup would turn down the noise, secure European qualification and offer bragging rights, but many of the deeper cracks will likely take years to fix.