Thiago Silva has criticised Chelsea’s owners after their Champions League exit and suggested poor transfer strategy has hamstrung the club and led to dressing room disharmony.
Two goals from Rodrygo at Stamford Bridge secured a 4-0 aggregate victory for Real Madrid on Tuesday night, and Todd Boehly and Clearlake have come under fire.
They have spent more than £600million in the transfer market in less than a year in charge, sacked two managers and made sweeping changes behind scenes. But Chelsea are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table and their season is effectively over after this European exit.
Silva believes “indecision” at the top of the club has had a negative impact on the team and has warned a change in strategy is needed to avoid more pain next season.
“I think the first step has been made, an incorrect step, but it has been made,” he said. “We can’t be blaming the managers if we don’t take responsibility. It’s a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision.
“Change of ownership, new players arriving – we had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn’t fit the size of the squad.
“A positive point is that there are amazing players in the squad but on the other hand there are always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from a squad of 30-something – that’s tough.
“Some can’t make the squad, we signed eight in January, we need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.”
Silva has also warned there is no guarantee a new manager will change the situation.
The 38-year-old Brazilian said: “Everybody talks too much about replacing managers. I think we, as players, must also take responsibility.
“We have had three managers this season, plus a fourth with Bruno where we failed to win. We have lost today and with Lampard, we have failed to win. Everybody is talking about the manager but we must look at what has been done wrong and try to change.”
Silva has one year left on his Chelsea contract and could mean this is his last Champions League match.
He said: "It might have been my last match in the Champions League.
"I have only one year left on my contract and my career is reaching the end. It’s a very sad day. But I think we must continue working to try to win as many matches until the end of the season."
