Cole points finger at Chelsea owners after Champions League defeat

Joe Cole criticised Chelsea’s owners after the Blues’ chastening Champions League exit at the hands of Paris St-Germain.

The Blues lost 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the last-16 second leg and 8-2 on aggregate.

There were boos from the home fans on a hugely disappointing night that did nothing to ease discontent among supporters at how the club is being run.

And former Chelsea star Cole did not hold back in his assessment when speaking as a pundit on TNT Sports.

“That is a real leveller of where this club is,” he said.

“Paris is the gold standard. They are the Champions of Europe – it shows that Chelsea are a million miles away over the course of the two legs.”

The result will put pressure on head coach Liam Rosenior, who was a somewhat controversial choice when he was appointed in January.

But Cole insisted: “This isn’t a Liam Rosenior problem. He’s just come through the door. This is a problem with the strategy and direction – where the club are going.

“This is a real eye-opener for where we are as a club at the moment. It’s a lot of money that’s been spent and there should be a real think of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.

“As a football club, you’ve got to go football club first, not business first, or you’ll get performances like that.”