By Megan Feringa
Chelsea board member Barbara Charone swapped Wembley Stadium for Spain's Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys to watch Chelsea Women's Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona, marking only the third time in 40 years that Charone won't attend a men's Blues game at the legendary London stadium.
Charone, a legendary PR mogul and one of the greatest rock scribes of the seventies, was appointed to Chelsea's new board of directors upon the Boehly-Clearlake ownership takeover in 2022. She was later appointed as a new trustee of the Chelsea foundation last spring.
The 72-year-old has been a Stamford Bridge match-goer since the 1980s. Her inclusion on the club's board of directors two years ago represented the former music critic's latest venture in breaking down barriers in traditionally male-dominated industries.
And on Saturday afternoon, Charone was spotted in the Barcelona sunshine at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys taking in Chelsea Women's Champions semi-final first leg clash against holders Barcelona.
Charone's spotting in the Spanish sunshine means she won't be in attendance as Mauricio Pochettino's side face the reigning FA Cup champions Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, marking only the third occasion in 40 years that Charone won't cheer on Chelsea men at Wembley.
Emma Hayes' side are bidding to claim a first-ever women's European title in the club's history and achieving the only piece of silverware that has eluded Hayes in her illustrious career in west London. A match-up against Barcelona represents one of the most difficult challenges in doing so, with Chelsea having lost to the Spanish giants at this stage in the competition last season while also suffering defeat to Barcelona in the 2021 final.
And in a packed out Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, in which 37,000 fans are expected, a familiar Chelsea presence in Charone will be much appreciated by the travelling Blues, even if it means missing out on Wembley.
Charone's past life as a music journalist is storied and star-studded, with her name featuring in the likes of the Rolling Stone, the NME and Sounds, while her life in PR saw her looking after Keith Richard, Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Madonna, Robert Plant, the Pet Shop Boys, REM, Depeche Mode and the Foo Fighters.
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