Chelsea Football Club is facing a fierce backlash from its supporter base after announcing plans to rebrand its Under-21 and Under-19 squads under a new name starting from the 2026/27 season. The teams will be known as "Cobham Next Gen" (CNG), a reference to the club's Cobham Training Centre, in what the club says is an attempt to better reflect the youthful makeup of its development sides.
In explaining the decision, Chelsea noted that its academy squads have typically featured players younger than their opposition, highlighting that last season's Under-18 side included several 16-year-olds. The Under-21 team, guided by Harry Hudson after Calum McFarlane's promotion to the first-team coaching staff in January, topped Premier League 2 last term despite fielding one of the league's youngest rosters, before falling to Tottenham Hotspur in the play-off quarter-finals.
However, the announcement has been met with strong disapproval from fans, with reports from The Telegraph indicating that Chelsea's official supporters trust was not consulted before the change was approved. The backlash has since been formalized through a strongly worded statement from fan group Not a Project CFC, which accused the club's BlueCo ownership of eroding Chelsea's traditions and identity.
The group's statement, posted on social media platform X, did not hold back in its criticism. "We are angered and frustrated, but sadly not surprised that the club have decided to rebrand our Under 21 and Under 19 squads as Cobham Next Gen," the statement read. "This is another example of a parasitic ownership stripping away the identity of our wonderful and historic football club piece by piece."
The group went on to emphasize the prestige associated with Chelsea's academy, which has produced a string of notable graduates including current captain Reece James, fellow defender Levi Colwill, and club legend John Terry. "The youth academy that Cobham hosts is renowned for being one of the best in the world and players have often identified with the club's name throughout their upbringing in football," the statement continued. "Players should be proud to represent that name from the moment they enter the youth setup, and not a soulless brand name cooked up by those who do not respect the club's heritage."
Not a Project CFC also called on other Chelsea supporter organizations to voice their opposition publicly, warning that further action could follow if the situation does not improve. "We strongly urge other supporter groups to send a strong message to the club that this is yet another unacceptable act from the club's current custodians," the group stated. "We remain extremely concerned about the direction the club is heading in, particularly based on recent media reports about the ownership structure. We will continue to monitor the situation and should our concerns escalate, we will not hesitate to once again call for demonstrative action to try and protect our football club."
The controversy adds to a growing list of grievances supporters have raised against Chelsea's BlueCo ownership since it took control of the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022. The group's transfer approach, which has heavily prioritized signing young talent, has drawn scrutiny, as has the frequent turnover in the club's coaching setup. Xabi Alonso's arrival as head coach in May made him the sixth permanent manager appointed since the ownership change just four years ago.
Chelsea has been approached for comment regarding the fan group's statement and the broader criticism surrounding the academy rebrand.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.