New Chelsea signing Emanuel Emegha was left 'devastated' after being booed by his own supporters at Strasbourg, with manager Liam Rosenior calling the reaction 'unacceptable'.
The 22-year-old Dutch striker agreed a pre-contract deal to join Chelsea from BlueCo sister club Strasbourg next summer, but the news has angered sections of the fanbase. Emegha was booed as he collected his player of the month award before Sunday's 1-0 Ligue 1 home win over Le Havre, having been absent from the matchday squad through injury.
A banner displayed by the club's ultras read: 'Emegha, pawn of BlueCo. After changing shirt, give back your captain's armband.' Rosenior, the former Hull head coach, confirmed post-match that he has no plans to strip Emegha of the captaincy, which he assumed this summer after Habib Diarra joined Sunderland.
'Emanuel Emegha was devastated and so was I,' said Rosenior. 'I am very disappointed with what I saw; seeing banners against one of the team's best players last season is unacceptable. My players deserve much more, they have an impeccable mindset and do not deserve this treatment.'
Emegha has been a key figure since joining from Sturm Graz in 2023, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists in 27 Ligue 1 appearances last season to help Strasbourg qualify for the Conference League. His expected move to Chelsea is the latest in a series of deals between the BlueCo-owned clubs.
Mike Penders, Kendry Paez and Mamadou Sarr are currently on loan with the French side, who also signed Ben Chilwell on transfer deadline day. Emegha is one of several recruits lined up for Chelsea's squad next summer, alongside Sporting winger Geovany Quenda and Corinthians left-back Denner.
