For this weeks BBCSport article we ask if the relationship between fans and Fosun can be salvaged.
Right now, the relationship between Wolves fans and the club’s owners feels more strained than ever. Monday night’s protests showed a national and global audience what many supporters have felt for a long time. Patience has run out.
This is not just about the fact Wolves have not won a game for 227 days. It is about leadership and ownership failings at the club.
To be fair, Fosun’s early years were brilliant. Wolves went from mid-table Championship obscurity to the Premier League and into Europe. For a while, it felt like anything was possible. Molineux was bouncing, the squad was packed with talent and the project looked ambitious and smart.
Then Covid hit and everything changed. A shift to strict financial control and “self-sustainability” has seen the club slowly decline. Key players have left and their replacements have rarely matched their quality. The squad feels thinner every season. The stadium needs investment and the matchday experience no longer feels like it belongs to a serious Premier League club.
Comments from chairman Jeff Shi 18 months ago started the rift. “If you only pursue trophies or consistent European football, Wolves might not be an ideal choice,” he remarked. It felt like a gut punch. For many fans, it summed up a lack of ambition and a growing divide at the top.
The disconnect was clear again on Monday. As kick-off approached, the club switched off the TV screens in the concourse – seemingly to try to get fans into their seats and disrupt the peaceful, planned 15-minute boycott. It felt less like a club listening to supporters and more like a hierarchy trying to control them, and it only deepened the sense of contempt many fans already feel.
So, is the situation salvageable? Maybe, but only if Fosun is willing to pay the price.
It must relax the hardline self-sustainability model and put real money back into the playing squad – across the men’s, women’s, and academy teams. Investment in Molineux is vital too. Fans need to see that the club matters – on and off the pitch.
On top of that, Shi should consider stepping back from the football side. Let him focus on the wider group and esports, while a proper footballing CEO takes charge of the club’s sporting direction.
If Fosun truly values Wolves, it must prove it with actions and a clear, transparent plan – not just words. If it cannot commit, then it should find a buyer who can and hand the baton on.
