Chelsea’s future rests on the events of the rest of this season, and this summer. The club cannot miss a golden opportunity to get it right, writes HITC columnist Jake Lane.
Salomon Kalou’s goal fifteen minutes from time in Benfica on Tuesday night helped Chelsea take an important lead at the half-way point in their Champions League quarter-final tie against the two-time European champions.
The West London club are now clear favorites to complete the job at Stamford Bridge next week and make it to the last four for the sixth time in nine seasons.
Standing in the way of the Blues and a final appearance at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena are Barcelona or AC Milan – you would be forgiven for thinking the more likely of opponents is the former, seeing as the two go into the second leg at the Nou Camp level at nil-nil and Barca always win at home but without an away goal, you never know.
To say Chelsea fans would rather come up against Milan in the semi-final would be an understatement, given their recent history against the Spanish champions in this competition.
They were eliminated by the Catalonians after losing 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16 in 2006 and then again in the semis in 2009 thanks to an injury-time away goal from Andres Iniesta and a whole host of awful decisions from the match officials which led to Didier Drogba receiving a six-match ban for showing (understandable) dissent after the final whistle.
But if Chelsea Football Club are to enjoy Champions League football next season, they will have to get past Barcelona (or Milan) and go on to win the final in May – assuming they do finish off Benfica next week of course.
Arsenal or Tottenham will finish 4th in the Premier League, meaning no Champions League spot for Chelsea unless they are victorious and lift the famous trophy themselves.
This will relegate 4th place to the Europa League and leave 3rd having to battle it out in a qualifier as Chelsea would go straight into the group stages as a seeded side.
This rule was cleared up by UEFA after Liverpool won European Club Football’s most coveted prize in 2005 and finish 5th in the league.
Right now, Chelsea have players at their peak – players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole. Win the Champions League and this could see the likes of these stay as the club would be able to attract more marquee names with the quality to bring them continued success until they hang up on their boots.
Not winning it could see these players and many more looking to move on in order to find success elsewhere, perhaps abroad, or even being kicked out for fresher, younger faces.
Then would come the struggle of being able to attract top players. Chelsea might have the money to see off other clubs when competing for signatures but without being able to offer top-level European football, it will be much tougher.
Just ask Liverpool; although they were able to sign Luis Suarez, this was only after losing Fernando Torres to Chelsea so he could once again play in the Champions League.
Dropping out of the Champions League can easily be the start of a long downward spiral.
Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Leeds United once enjoyed the highs of Champions League football but since dropping out of the competition, have all experienced relegation.
Now I’m not saying for one second that Chelsea are going to be relegated next season but if Roman Abramovich pulls out his millions, who knows what could happen in the future.
Then there is the manager situation and not just the fact that at present, who will be in charge at the beginning of next season is still a mystery but the fact that nothing seems to be good enough for Mr Roman Abramovich.
Jose Mourinho was the club’s most successful manager in the club’s history yet still got the sack as did Carlo Ancelotti who won the double in his first season in charge.
All the Russian billionaire is focused on is winning European football’s top prize and after nine years of waiting, he is becoming increasingly impatient.
How is the club meant to properly nurture young talent and bring players through to the first team as other top clubs have done, no-one more so than Manchester United if the man at the top is being changed every one or two seasons?
If this was fixed, players like Scott Sinclair, now enjoying success with Swansea City would still be at the club and the likes of Josh McEachran, on loan at the same club and touted as being in the same bracket as Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, would have been given more of a chance to break through like Arsene Wenger has given Wilshere and many other players at their London rivals.
Chelsea find themselves five points behind fourth-placed Spurs with only eight games to go so winning this season’s Champions League may well be their only ticket into the same competition next season. Do you agree?
images: © Crystian Cruz, © Crystian Cruz
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