Behdad Eghbali ‘has gone into the Chelsea changing room post-match after EVERY game he’s been to this season’

• Behdad Eghbali has ‘gone into the Chelsea dressing room after every game’ 
• Todd Boehly received criticism for going into the changing rooms last season
•  Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here

Chelsea co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali was reportedly ‘spotted leaving the team’s dressing room at Stamford Bridge after their loss to Aston Villa.’

That’s according to the The Telegraph, who claim that the 47-year-old has ‘gone in to see the players after every game he’s been to this season’. 

It comes after scrutiny was placed on fellow owner Todd Boehly after he went backstage at Stamford Bridge and addressed Mauricio Pochettino’s side, calling them ’embarrassing’ following their 2-1 defeat by Brighton at the Bridge in April.

Eghbali, though, is understood to not have made an address to the players, with the outlet reporting that he has instead only ‘shaken hands and greeted players and coaching staff, while wishing individuals well.’ 

Despite not speaking to the team, his presence in the dressing room, could still prompt fans to ask questions. 

The Blues have now failed to score in their last three Premier League outings, with Pochettino’s side suffering defeats to Villa and Nottingham Forest and a draw to Bournmouth, sending them to 14th in the table. 

Ollie Watkins got the solitary goal of Sunday’s match, with Malo Gusto receiving a yellow card that was subsequently upgraded to a red for a dangerous tackle on Lucas Digne. 

After the match, Pochettino urged the club’s owners to give him time after the match, amid the club’s ongoing rebuild, with the side’s new owners having now spent over £1billion on new signings since they arrived in south London in May 2022.

The Argentine said in his post match press conference: ‘Give me time because I didn’t see them [the owners] after the game.

‘They are disappointed, they arrived at the club and are so excited to build a project. Of course they feel disappointed but at the same time they need to support the plan.’

Boehly, meanwhile, is said to have sent reverberations around the club last year, after his side’s loss to Brighton and underwhelming form in the league.

The American decided to take matters into his own hands, with Mail Sport reporting that he had spoken to the team and said words to the effect of: ‘This isn’t good enough, this isn’t what we brought you to the club for, you’re not taking responsibility.’

One source told Mail Sport that the address ‘had gone down badly with some of the playing cohort’. 

Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said at the time that players should accept that the owner will want to have his say, noting his experiences of seeing Roman Abramovich in the dressing room as a player. 

‘When an owner is invested in their interest in the team and wants to help and improve, it’s their prerogative to have the input they want,’ Lampard said. 

‘I remember the moments as a player of owners first coming into the dressing room. It first happened at Chelsea and I remember being really happy that they were there.

‘You could touch them, you could high-five them and listen to them. That’s not a bad thing in terms of the identity of the club and where you want to get to.’

More to follow… 

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