Remarkable. Logic-defying. Emotional...there really aren't enough superlatives to truly capture the essence of Chelsea's conquest in Munich this past Saturday night. After a roller-coaster 9 months,just a fraction of what has been a 9 year pursual, the Blues finally lifted the most coveted prize in club football; the Champions League trophy. Quite how they managed it will be keenly debated for years to come. A glance here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18132980) will give you some insight as to just how impressive this victory was, yet there is only so much statistics can tell you in instances such as these. This was essentially the sort of game that sums up why football is the most cherished of all sporting past-times, the sort of game where anything can happen, where the chaos of months past is put to one side, and where sheer determination and unity triumphs over all else. But where do Chelsea go from here?
Several months ago, I described the Chelsea job as a poisoned chalice in the wake of the ruthless sacking of Andre Villas Boas, who was quickly cast aside by owner Roman Abramovich despite the significant cost of his acquisition from Porto. The young Portugese had fallen on his sword just a matter of months into what he had described as a three year plan for the club, in which he sought to establish them as a major force both domestically and in Europe. Having made the initial implementation of his master-lan a little too radical for most of the senior players liking, AVB was shown the door, following a long line of coaches (8 in total) who had failed to live up to the expectations of Abramovich. Roberto Di Matteo was ushered in, asked to oversee the final three months of a campaign that had unravelled almost as soon as it had begun. With Chelsea out of contention in both the Premier League title race and the League Cup, the unassuming Italian's mandate was merely to avoid similar catastrophe in the FA Cup and the Champions League. Indeed, there was little pressure on the new interim manager as nobody seemed to think he had any chance of being given the job on a permanent basis, an assumption that at the time was completely logical.
That has been the beauty of Chelsea's end to the season; logic has quite literally gone out of the window. Di Matteo was quick to unite the dressing room and subsequently galvanise the players efforts on the pitch. First came the astounding comeback against Napoli, a 4-1 victory at Stamford Bridge overturning the 3-1 deficit suffered in the first leg. Benfica were then swept aside with relative ease, setting up a semi-final tie with Barcelona, a game which many (myself included) expected to be a mere formality for the Catalonians. Instead, a combination of good fortune and an incredible defensive effort, not to mention potent counter-attacking play, saw Chelsea overcome the oft-labelled 'greatest team in the world' and reach their second Champions League final. By this point, Di Matteo had gone from rank outsider for the job to firm favourite. The FA Cup triumph over Liverpool only strenghtened the almost universal clamour for him to be offered the post permanently, and yet Abramovich relented, continuing his silence on the matter.
Amidst this frenetic end to the season, 34 year old Didier Drogba was enjoying the most stunning of on-field revivals. After enduring a sluggish start to the campaign, where he continually vied with the out-of-sorts Fernando Torres for a starting place, the Ivorian suddenly became Chelsea's key player once again, scoring key goals in the triumphs over Napoli and Barcelona. On Saturday, the striker came full circle by scoring his side's decisive equaliser against Bayern Munich, before cooly scoring the penalty that delivered the club their first ever Champions League trophy. Such accolades are impressive in any context, but the fact that Drogba has scaled such heights whilst his future remains so uncertain make his exploits all the more significant.
Indeed, it was quite fitting to see Di Matteo and Drogba embrace so eagerly at the scene of their collective and individual triumphs, both men having overcome the auspices of an uncertain summer to aid the club in this most unlikely of victories. Such endeavour and humility is a rare sight in football nowadays and one can only sense that the future of these two men represent a significant footnote in Chelsea's history. Will Abramovich reward them for delivering the trophy that he has sought for almost a decade? Or will he keep with tradition and coldly cast them aside, making way for new, more fashionable faces? One can only hope that in this instance, logic will prevail and the Russian will go with the former.
But there are other sub-plots to this most riveting of tales; for example, the future of Fernando Torres. The man who holds the title of most expensive British transfer ever was quick to go on record in voicing his displeasure at starting the final on the bench, whilst he also made the point that he needs reassurances from the clubs board regarding his future role in the team. Were it not for the £50 million fee paid to bring Torres to Chelsea, it is hard to see him being able to substantiate such claims. With just 11 goals to his name this season, the Spaniard did not cover himself in glory when called upon, despite his strong end to the campaign. At 28 years of age, however, he still has time to make a lasting contribution to the Blues future, whereas Drogba has perhaps a maximum of two to three years left to add to his already glistening Stamford Bridge CV. Is it possible to keep both men at the club? Can Torres step out of the shadow of his colleague? And will the presence of such considerable reputations hinder the progress of the younger strikers at the club, such as Romelu Lukaku and Daniel Sturridge?
Similar questions could be raised about the futures of Michael Essien, Paulo Ferreira, Florent Malouda and, to a lesser extent, John Terry and Frank Lampard. These players have contributed significantly to Chelsea's rise to the zenith of European football, but how long their contribution can continue is an issue that needs to be considered carefully by Abramovich. When the backbone of the current Chelsea team retire, what will be left? It would seem that it would be wise for Chelsea to look to this summer to begin a gradual rebuilding process that will protect the long-term future of the club, rather than continue to trade on both past and present glories. Whether Abramovich and his trusted team of delegates choose to apply such foresight remains to be seen.
One thing is for certain, though, and that is that Roberto Di Matteo indisputably deserves the opportunity to continue his sterling work of the past three months, regardless of the risk it provides to his legacy at the club. He has provedthat he can balance the egos of the dressing room with optimum skill and can also organise the team against the most accomplished of foes. After being discarded at West Bromwich Albion, it is clear that Di Matteo has taken stock of his mistakes and has grown significantly as a coach, developing a thick skin as a result (something which is more than necessary for any employee of Abramovich). The way in which he conducted himself in the wake of victory on Saturday was highly impressive, and I along with many others sincerely wish to see him rewarded for his accomplishments. Any other outcome will cast a serious shadow over Chelsea's glorious triumph.
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