Carlo Ancelotti has made history as the first manager to win the top-flight title in all five of Europe’s top leagues, but where are his Chelsea squad that won the FA Cup in 2010 now?
The Italian led the Blues to a Premier League and FA Cup double during the first of his two seasons at Stamford Bridge. He arrived in west London fresh off eight years in charge of AC Milan, with whom Ancelotti had won a Serie A title and lifted the Champions League twice.
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Ancelotti again got his hands on the Champions League in 2014 at Real Madrid, but La Liga glory alluded him. Ligue 1 and Bundesliga medals sat around the 62-year-old’s neck from spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Bayer Munich, before returning to the Bernabeu last July.
Finally, this season, Ancelotti got over his La Liga hurdle and secured Real Madrid the title after replacing Zinedine Zidane. No manager in history had previously stood atop the trees in Spain, England, France, Germany and Italy to lift the grand slam of titles in one career.
Ancelotti’s Premier League title with Chelsea was the Blues’ first in four seasons following back-to-back wins in 2004/05 and ‘05/06. Adding the FA Cup title also saw the Stamford Bridge natives become the first to retain the trophy since Arsenal in 2001/02 and ‘02/03.
Chelsea have contested the FA Cup final five times since Ancelotti led the Blues to glory at Wembley, and will make it six this year when they face Liverpool. It will be a repeat of the 2011/12 final that the Blues won 2-1, while also beating Manchester United 1-0 in 2018.
So, where are Ancelotti’s 2010 FA Cup winners now, with just two of the 11 Chelsea stars to start against Portsmouth at Wembley still playing and two now at a Premier League rival?
Petr Cech (GK) – 2010 FA Cup hero now Chelsea technical and performance advisor
Petr Cech guarded the Chelsea net for 11 years between a £9m move from Rennes in 2004 and joining Arsenal in 2015. Over his more than a decade at the Bridge, the Czech Republic goalkeeper amassed 494 appearances – including two games during the 2009/10 FA Cup.
Ancelotti opted to recall Cech to the Chelsea line-up in their semi-final win over Aston Villa and the final with Portsmouth. He did not play until the penultimate match, with Henrique Hilario instead fielded in clashes with Watford, Preston North End, Cardiff and Stoke City.
Cech would keep clean sheets against both the Villans and Pompey, after he saved Kevin-Prince Boateng’s penalty in the final. The midfielder had the chance to break the deadlock on 57 minutes in front of the Blues fans, but produced a woeful strike from 12-yards out.
Beating Pompey under Ancelotti returned Cech’s third of four FA Cup winners’ medals at Chelsea. He added a further one following his move to Arsenal, where he remained until retiring in 2019. The Blues then hired him as their technical and performance advisor.
Branislav Ivanovic (RB) – Former blues defender still a free agent
Branislav Ivanovic joined Chelsea from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2008 and remained at the club until 2017. The Serbian enjoyed FA Cup wins with the Blues, alongside Premier League titles in 2009/10, ‘14/15 and ’16/17. He also helped win the 2011/12 Champions League.
The Blues let Ivanovic leave for Zenit St Petersburg in 2017, where he remained until 2020. Ivanovic then returned to England with West Brom for one season but could not help them avoid relegation. He has now been a free agent since leaving the Hawthorns in July 2021.
Alex (CB) – Former Blues defender enjoying sixth year of retirement
Alex hung up his boots in 2016 following a career that saw the centre-half platy for Santos, Chelsea, PSV Eindhoven (on loan), Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. Ancelotti signed Alex from Chelsea during his first month in charge of PSG in January 2012 in a deal worth £4m.
The Brazilian had made 134 appearances for the Stamford Bridge natives, including all six FA Cup ties in 2009/10. He never featured for a club more than he did with the Blues, with 123 for PSV on loan from the west London outfit due to work permit issues his next most.
John Terry (CB) – 2010 FA Cup-winning captain now back as consultant at Chelsea
John Terry captained Chelsea to the FA Cup in 2010 under Ancelotti, and returned to west London in December 2021 to begin a coaching consultancy role within the Blues’ academy.
He had been Aston Villa assistant coach under Dean Smith from 2018 to 2021 after ending his playing career at Villa Park in 2018. Terry spent one season with the Birmingham outfit as they bid for promotion from the Championship, after 22 years with Chelsea at all levels.
Terry joined the Blues’ academy from West Ham in 1995 and progressed to play 713 times across all competitions. He also lifted five Premier League titles, the Champions League, five FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Ashley Cole (LB) – Blues hero an assistant coach at Everton
Chelsea beat the transfer deadline to sign Ashley Cole from rivals Arsenal in 2006 for £5m plus centre-back William Gallas. The left-back had risen through the Gunners’ academy to win two Premier League titles and secured three FA Cup titles during his time at Highbury.
He would add another top-flight crown and four FA Cups while in west London, plus an EFL Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League. Cole played 338 games in total for the Blues, before enjoying stints with Roma, LA Galaxy and Derby County until retiring in 2019.
Chelsea hired Cole as a youth coach upon the 107-cap England defender hanging up his boots. He later held an assistant coach role with England U21s from July 2021, until joining Everton as an assistant manager to Frank Lampard following his appointment in January.
Frank Lampard (CM) – Ex-Chelsea star and manager now Everton boss
Everton hired Lampard to replace Rafa Benitez at the Goodison Park helm in January 2022 as they battle relegation. He had been out of work for the previous year following Chelsea sacking their former captain in 2021, after one-and-a-half seasons in charge of the club.
The Blues appointed the 43-year-old for just his second role in management after a foray in charge of Derby. He played 648 times for the west Londoners between 2001 and 2014, winning Champions League, three Premier League, four FA Cup and a Europa League title.
Michael Ballack (CM) – 2010 FA Cup heartbreak proceeded 2012 retirement
Michael Ballack joined Chelsea in a free transfer in May 2006 after his contract at Bayern Munich expired. The German remained at the Bridge until 2010 when the Blues released him at the end of his contract, having played 167 times. He would later retire in 2012.
Chelsea’s 2010 FA Cup win against Portsmouth under Ancelotti has some bad memories for Ballack. He suffered an ankle injury at Wembley from a poor tackle by Boateng which forced the midfielder off before half-time, and would go on to miss the 2010 World Cup, as well.
Florent Malouda (CM) – Journeyman retired in 2018 after 22-year career
Florent Malouda called time on a 22-year career in 2018 after a nomadic path that saw him play in England with Chelsea, in France for Chateauroux, Guingamp, Lyon, Metz, Turkey for Trabzonspor, India with Delhi Dynamos, Wadi Degla and lastly Luxembourg at Differdange.
The French forward joined the Blues from Lyon in £13m, and enjoyed 229 appearances for the club. Ancelotti fielded Malouda in all six of Chelsea’s FA Cup ties in 2010, starting four – including the final against Portsmouth. He scored in wins over Watford and Aston Villa.
Salomon Kalou (RW) – Champions League winner now a free agent for past year
Salomon Kalou lifted Premier League and FA Cup titles with Ancelotti at Chelsea but is now a free agent for the past year. The Ivorian also won three further FA Cups, the Champions League and an EFL Cup while at Stamford Bridge for his only career domestic honours.
Chelsea signed the forward from Feyenoord in 2006, before later spells with LOSC Lille, Hertha Berlin and finally Botafogo. The Brazilian outfit released Kalou in August 2021 after one season at the club. The 97-cap international is yet to join another side, now aged 36.
Didier Drogba (ST) – Chelsea icon and 2010 FA Cup match-winner now retired
Didier Drogba settled the 2010 FA Cup in favour of Ancelotti’s Chelsea with a free-kick 30-yards from David James’ goal in front of the Portsmouth fans at Wembley on 59-minutes. He flashed the ball into the far corner of the net just two minutes after Boateng’s penalty.
The set-piece would return one of the Ivorian’s 12 major trophies with the Blues, adding Champions League glory to four FA Cups, three EFL Cups and four Premier League titles. Drogba played a total of 381 games with Chelsea and is now retired since December 2018.
Nicolas Anelka (LW) – Journeyman forward has been retired since 2016
Nicolas Anelka enjoyed a career that featured Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton before joining Chelsea in 2008. It also included stints at Shanghai Shenhua, Juventus, West Brom and Mumbai City up to 2016.
The Frenchman spent four years at Stamford Bridge before moving to China in 2012, in which he played 184 games. Anelka never featured for a club more in his career than the Blues, for whom the striker struck 59 goals and provided 38 assists across all competitions.
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