Mag 157

CHELSEA FC P R E M I E R

T H E

L E A G U E

O F F I C I A L

C H E L S E A

C H A M P I O N S

F O O T B A L L

C L U B

2 0 1 6 / 1 7

M A G A Z I N E

NEWBOYS INBLUE Meet Chelsea’s summer signings

ISSUE 157 | SEPTEMBER 2017 | £3.25

Chelsea Mag Sep 17 £3.25 09

9 771362 836019 PRINCIPAL CLUB PARTNER

PRINCIPAL CLUB PARTNER

PRINCIPAL CLUB PARTNER

chelseafc.com | @ChelseaFC

CONTENTS ISSUE 157

DOMESTIC HONOURS

SEPTEMBER 2017

07 Blues News

63 Academy feature

14 Alvaro Morata

66 Academy round-up

21 Tiemoue Bakayoko

68 Ladies

25 Antonio Rüdiger

73 Chelsea Foundation

29 Willy Caballero

74 Frank Buglioni

32 Tour of the Champions

78 Birthdays XI

40 Drawing On Experience: Michael Ballack

80 Message Board

48 Start to Finish: Didier Drogba

81 Legend Trivia

56 European Retrospective

82 King’s Road Boutique

Football League/ Premier League champions 1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2017 Division Two champions 1984, 1989 FA Cup winners 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 Football League Cup winners 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2015 FA Charity/ Community Shield winners 1955, 2000, 2005, 2009

25 40 74 82

Full Members Cup winners 1986, 1990

EUROPEAN HONOURS UEFA Champions League winners 2012 UEFA Europa League winners 2013 European Cup Winners’ Cup winners 1971, 1998 UEFA Super Cup winners 1998

HERE TO HELP

The following telephone numbers and email addresses are here to assist supporters.

General enquiries enquiries@chelseafc.com 0371 811 1955 International +44(0) 20 7386 9373 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6pm) 03 numbers are charged at the same rate as local and national rate calls

Chelsea Magazine produced by Editorial 020 7958 2168 Subscriptions 0845 241 6210 Email cfc.magazine@trinitymirror.com MAGAZINE EDITOR David Antill FEATURES EDITOR Dominic Bliss DEPUTY EDITOR Richard Godden STAFF WRITER James Sugrue SUB-EDITOR Harri Aston DESIGNERS Glen Hind and Ben Renshaw STATISTICIAN Paul Dutton PHOTOGRAPHY Darren Walsh, Getty Images, Hugh Hastings, Chelsea FC Archive, Mirrorpix, PA Images, Mark Sandom and Bradley Collyer PRINTED BY William Gibbons DISTRIBUTED BY Comag THANKS TO Emma Wilkinson, John Barrett, Andy Jones, Ryan Brown and Daniel Wittenberg © Trinity Mirror Sport Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the Copyright owners. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. In the interest of independence and impartiality, many features in this publication have been written by third-party experts. It should be noted that any opinions expressed therein are the views of the writers themselves and not necessarily those of Chelsea FC. Terms and conditions for all competitions appearing in this magazine are available on request.

Customer feedback including complaints customer.services@chelseafc.com Supporter Liaison Officer slo@chelseafc.com

Chelsea FC’s Global Charity Partner

FOUNDATION

Chelsea FC’s anti-discrimination campaign

Chelsea FC is a supporter of...

FOUNDATION 03

04

"I need to make an explosion in my career and I am at the perfect place, the perfect club to do that" Read our Alvaro Morata interview on page 14

05

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

The EFL logo is the UK registered trade mark of The Football League Limited trading as the EFL/ English Football League. Also contains EFL copyright material. All rights reserved. The Carabao name and logo are registered trade marks of Carabao Tawandang Co Ltd. All rights reserved.

BLUES NEWS

Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rüdiger, Willy Caballero and Alvaro Morata,

New arrivals to help our title defence Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rüdiger joined the Chelsea squad ahead of the start of the 2017/18 season.

Morata completed a move from Real Madrid on a five-year deal. A regular for Spain, the 24-year-old has scored nine goals in 20 international appearances, including three at last year’s European Championship.

He made his debut for Real shortly after his 18th birthday and became a regular in the first team during the 2012/13 campaign, and the next season made the first of three Champions League final appearances as the Spanish side beat their city rivals Atletico Madrid.

In 2014 he moved to Juventus, where he played a prominent role in two Serie A titles and helped the Turin side reach the Champions League final. Morata returned to Real for last season, scoring 20 goals for the club as they won La Liga and the Champions League.

Bakayoko completed a transfer from Monaco after helping the French club win the Ligue 1 title and reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2016/17. chelseafc.com

The 22-year-old, who recently made his international debut for France playing alongside N’Golo Kanté in midfield, has signed a five-year contract with Chelsea.

Born in Paris, Bakayoko came through the Rennes academy and signed for Monaco in 2014, making almost 100 appearances for the principality side during his three seasons there, scoring five goals.

Rüdiger, 24, has also signed a five-year contract. After spending time in the youth set-up at Borussia Dortmund, the Berlin native made his breakthrough into senior football as a teenager with Stuttgart, before moving abroad to join Roma in 2015.

Having missed Euro 2016 through injury, the German international was a key performer in his country’s Confederations Cup victory this summer, being part of the defence which kept a clean sheet in the final win over Chile.

Meanwhile, Nemanja Matic has completed a permanent transfer to Manchester United, departing Stamford Bridge having played in two Premier League title triumphs as well as winning the League Cup with the Blues.

Those trophies all came in his second spell at Chelsea, having made three appearances for the club in 2009/10 before returning to the Blues in 2014 after a spell with Benfica.

Matic was one of six Chelsea players named in the PFA Team of the Year in our title-winning 2014/15 campaign and leaves having made a total of 154 appearances, scoring seven goals.

Nathaniel Chalobah has made a permanent transfer to Watford, where he previously played on loan in 2012/13. His last season with Chelsea saw him pick up a Premier League winner’s medal, having made 15 appearances in all competitions.

Mukhtar Ali has joined Vitesse Arnhem on a permanent transfer, having spent the second half of last season on loan with the Dutch side.

Chelsea thanks Nemanja, Nathaniel and Mukhtar for their service to the club and wishes them all the best for the future.

• Later in this magazine you can read interviews with summer signings Morata (page 14), Bakayoko (page 21), Rüdiger (page 25) and Willy Caballero (page 29)

@ChelseaFC 07

BLUES NEWS

Baby James handed “brilliant” teddy bear gift from club as he leaves hospital

NEW BOOK RELIVES OUR TITLE-WINNING SEASON The new book Chelsea FC: Champions 2016/17, profiling last season’s Premier League title win in full, is on sale now.

The ultimate souvenir of a fantastic achievement for the Blues, it covers every game of the league campaign with a focus on the players who contributed to the triumph and a collection of superb images from throughout the season and the trophy celebrations.

Chelsea FC: Champions 2016/17 is available priced £20 from the Stamford Bridge Megastore and all good book shops.

Westminster Hospital, having an operation when he was just five days old,” said Chris, who along with fiancee Michelle Ruthenbury was among the first to receive the teddy.

“We can’t praise the staff highly enough – they were fantastic. It was a very special moment when we left hospital to take James home and for him to be given a Chelsea teddy bear was just brilliant.

“James is doing really well and I can’t wait to take him to his first match.”

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and its charity CW+ are currently fundraising to significantly redevelop and expand the adult and neonatal intensive care units to be able to treat 700 more critically ill adults and babies every year. For more information, visit www.cwplus.org.uk.

Chris Wright, Michelle Ruthenbury and James

Photo: George Vasilopoulos

Proud new dad and lifelong Bluesthe fan Chris Cahill following Friday nightboy Wright was delighted victory whenonhis baby James was handed a teddy bear from the club upon leaving the neonatal intensive care unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

As part of the club’s commitment to our community, all newborn babies at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in partnership with hospital charity CW+, receive the free gift.

The initiative, which also includes Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, began earlier this year and ensures as many as 10,000 newborns across some of London’s biggest maternity units receive the teddy, creating a new generation of Blues fans.

“James spent his first two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Chelsea and

Ericsson deal to improve Wi-Fi access at the Bridge Chelsea Football ClubCahill has following announced the Ericsson as our new connected venue victory on Friday night partner, introducing free Wi-Fi coverage for supporters throughout Stamford Bridge for the first time.

A world leader in communications technology, Ericsson will use its cutting edge Smart Cell tool to allow fans to access Wi-Fi and share their experiences with friends and followers around the world.

With the Bridge regularly sold out for all home games, mobile networks are often stretched. To ensure supporters can enjoy a seamless digital experience, Ericsson will design, build and operate a Wi-Fi access network and manage it on the club’s behalf.

Ericsson has previously worked to operate and sustain fan Wi-Fi at both the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2016 European Championship in France.

Cesc Fàbregas, Willian and N’Golo Kanté with Ericsson’s Senior Vice President Arun Bansal chelseafc.com

@ChelseaFC

NEWS IN

BRIEF

Chelsea won the Best Fan Experience Award at the Fanalyse 2017 Award Show, receiving praise for the entire matchday experience at Stamford Bridge as well as our FA Cup final fan zone.

The Chelsea Foundation was represented by disability inclusion co-ordinator Andy Rose and players from their Under-16 and Under-12 teams at the Disability Festival of Sport, celebrating the first birthday of the Premier League and BT Sport’s disability programme.

OUR YOUNGSTERS TASTE INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS Six Chelsea youngsters helped England to victory at the European Under-19 Championship.

Trevoh Chalobah, Jay Dasilva, Reece James, Jacob Maddox, Mason Mount and Dujon Sterling all picked up a winner’s medal in Georgia, although Chalobah was not there to receive his after injury ended his tournament prematurely.

Mount, Sterling and Dasilva all started in the Three Lions’ 2-1 win over Portugal in the final, with Dasilva wearing the captain’s armband and Mount putting in an impressive performance to set up both England goals.

It is the second international medal James has earned this year, having also been part of the England squad which won the prestigious Toulon Tournament, alongside fellow Blues Josh Grant, Martell TaylorCrossdale, Ike Ugbo and Tariq Uwakwe.

Antonio Conte during a training session at Singapore National Stadium

Conte eyes more glory after signing new deal Antonio Conte has signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.

Our head coach lifted the Premier League title at the first attempt last season, guiding us to a record 30 wins in a single campaign, as well as a club-record 13 consecutive league victories. We also reached the FA Cup final.

After putting pen to paper on a new deal, the Italian said: “I am very happy to have signed a new contract with Chelsea. We worked extremely hard in our first year to achieve something amazing, which I am very proud of. Now we must work even harder to stay at the top.

“The Chelsea fans have given me so much support since I arrived here

one year ago and it is important we continue to succeed together.”

Club director Marina Granovskaia added: “Antonio achieved incredible success last season, adapting to English football very quickly and leading us to the Premier League title. This new contract reflects our belief that he can continue to deliver results both domestically and as we return to European competition in the Champions League.”

New to the coaching staff this season are two of Conte’s fellow Italians. Paolo Vanoli joins as assistant to the first-team head coach and Davide Mazzotta will work as assistant/player analysis.

Chelsea defender Matt Miazga (above), who is on loan at Vitesse Arnhem for 2017/18, helped the USA win this year’s Gold Cup, scoring once as they triumphed on home soil.

You can get all the latest news on the Chelsea players out on loan, including weekly updates on how they are getting on, at www.chelseafc.com.

Chelsea Football Club is inviting children’s, medical, armed forces and community charities to register for the chance to hold matchday bucket collections at Stamford Bridge during the 2017/18 season.

For the fifth year in succession, supporters will get to choose four charities to collect donations. You can register your charity for the vote by downloading an application form at www.chelseafc.com/foundation and sending it to charity@chelseafc.com with the subject “Matchday Collection Vote” by 23 August.

09

PORTLAND KNOWS NO BOUNDS.

NEITHER DO YOU. Discover a new side of America and visit Portland, with Delta’s new nonstop service from London Heathrow.

DELTA.COM

*London Heathrow to Portland International nonstop service effective as of 26 May 2017.

Flights operated in partnership with Virgin Atlantic. © 2017 Delta Air Lines, Inc.

BLUES NEWS

Sweden defender Eriksson joins Chelsea Ladies ahead of big Super League kick-off The signing of Magdalena Eriksson Cahill following the has victoryLadies on Fridaysquad night strengthened the Chelsea ahead of the 2017/18 FA Women’s Super League campaign, which will begin at our new Kingsmeadow home with a game against Bristol City on Sunday 24 September.

Emma Hayes’ side will travel to Sunderland for our second match before hosting Liverpool, who we also face on the final day of the season, Sunday 20 May. Season tickets are available now – priced £42 for adults and £21 for juniors and concessions – at www.chelseafc.com/tickets.

Swedish international Eriksson arrives following a four-year spell at Linkopings in her homeland, where she captained the club to the league title in 2016.

The left-sided defender is 23 years old and has signed a two-year contract with the Blues.

“I’m so excited to join Chelsea,” she said.

“I hope I can help the team achieve even more greatness and I can’t wait to be a part of the Chelsea family.”

Goalkeeper Carly Telford has also committed herself to the Blues, signing a new contract until May 2019, having previously joined on a short-term deal to help us triumph in this year’s Spring Series.

Ana Borges and Niamh Fahey have both left the club, joining Sporting Lisbon and Bordeaux respectively.

• Read our interview with Magdalena Eriksson on page 71

Magdalena Eriksson in action for Sweden

Blues on the right track with new sleeve sponsor Chelsea shirts have a new logo on the sleeve for the 2017/18 season, as we expand our ongoing partnership with The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. Featuring on the sleeve is Yokohama’s Alliance Tyres logo – a new passenger vehicle tyre brand launched in Europe at the start of 2017.

The sleeve sponsor was seen for the first time as we defeated Arsenal 3-0 in Beijing during pre-season and will feature throughout the current campaign.

N’Golo Kanté wearing our latest home shirt

chelseafc.com

NEW DATES CONFIRMED FOR UPCOMING GAMES Four of our early Premier League fixtures in 2017/18 have been moved.

Everton’s visit to Stamford Bridge will now take place on Sunday 27 August, with kick-off at 1.30pm, due to the Toffees’ involvement in the Europa League.

Our trip to Wembley to face Tottenham will now come on Sunday 20 August, kicking off at 4pm, and we host Arsenal at 1.30pm on Sunday 17 September after both games were chosen to be shown on Sky Sports.

Our home match with Manchester City will be live on BT Sport and now starts at 5.30pm on Saturday 30 September.

@ChelseaFC 11

MONTH AHEAD FIXTURES & RESULTS 2017/18

August Sun 6 Sat 12 Sun 20 Sun 27 September Sat 9 12/13 Sun 17 19/20 Sat 23 26/27 Sat 30 October Sat 14 17/18 Sat 21 24/25 Sat 28 Tue 31 November Wed 1 Sat 4 Sat 18 21/22 Sat 25 Wed 29 December Sat 2 5/6 Sat 9 Tue 12 Sat 16 19/20 Sat 23 Tue 26 Sat 30 January Mon 1 5-8 9/10 Sat 13 Sat 20 23/24 26-29 Wed 31 February Sat 3 Sat 10 13/14 16-19 20/21 Sat 24 Sun 25 March Sat 3 6/7 Sat 10 13/14 16-19 Sat 17 Sat 31 April 3/4 Sat 7 10/11 Sat 14 21/22 Sat 21 24/25 Sat 28 May 1/2 Sat 5 Sun 13 Sat 19 Sat 26

Arsenal (CS) Burnley Tottenham Hotspur (4pm) Sky Everton (1.30pm)

W H A H

Leicester City UCL group stage, matchday 1 Arsenal (1.30pm) Sky Carabao Cup third round Stoke City UCL group stage, matchday 2 Manchester City (5.30pm) BT

A H A H

Crystal Palace UCL group stage, matchday 3 Watford Carabao Cup fourth round Bournemouth UCL group stage, matchday 4

A H - A -

UCL group stage, matchday 4 Manchester United West Bromwich Albion UCL group stage, matchday 5 Liverpool Swansea City (7.45pm)

H A A H

Newcastle United UCL group stage, matchday 6 West Ham United Huddersfield Town (7.45pm) Southampton Carabao Cup quarter-final Everton Brighton & Hove Albion Stoke City

H A A H A H H

Arsenal FA Cup third round Carabao Cup semi-final, 1st leg Leicester City Brighton & Hove Albion Carabao Cup semi-final, 2nd leg FA Cup fourth round Bournemouth (7.45pm)

A H A H

Watford West Bromwich Albion UCL round of 16, 1st leg FA Cup fifth round UCL round of 16, 1st leg Manchester United Carabao Cup final

A H A W

Manchester City UCL round of 16, 2nd leg Crystal Palace UCL round of 16, 2nd leg FA Cup quarter-final Burnley Tottenham Hotspur

A H A H

UCL quarter-final, 1st leg West Ham United UCL quarter-final, 2nd leg Southampton FA Cup semi-final Huddersfield Town UCL semi-final, 1st leg Swansea City

H A W H A

UCL semi-final, 2nd leg Liverpool Newcastle United FA Cup final UCL final

H A W K

Fixtures correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

All games kick off at 3pm unless stated. W - Wembley Stadium.

K - Olympic Stadium, Kiev. EFLC - English Football League Cup. FAC - FA Cup. *After extra-time.**Lost 1-4 on penalties after 90 minutes.

12

ON THE PITCH

1-1**

12 AUGUST BURNLEY (H) – PREMIER LEAGUE We met the Clarets on the opening weekend of the 2014/15 Premier League season, securing a 3-1 win at Turf Moor on our way to being crowned champions.

20 AUGUST TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (A) – PREMIER LEAGUE The last time we met Spurs at Wembley was in April, when a brace from Willian and further strikes by Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic secured our place in the FA Cup final.

27 AUGUST EVERTON (H) – PREMIER LEAGUE Match of the Day commentator John Motson believed our 5-0 win over the Toffees at Stamford Bridge last season was the best performance he had witnessed in the Premier League era.

9 SEPTEMBER LEICESTER CITY (A) – PREMIER LEAGUE Both of last season’s matches against the Foxes finished 3-0 to Chelsea, with our visit to the King Power Stadium featuring a brace from Marcos Alonso.

12/13 SEPTEMBER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHDAY ONE Find out who our first opponents will be when the draw is made on Thursday 24 August as the road to Kiev begins.

LADIES ON TOUR

LADIES

Ahead of the new FA Women’s Super League season, which kicks off at the end of September, Emma Hayes’ squad face several pre-season tests. A trip to Austria at the end of August will see us take on Champions League-quality opposition in the form of Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich.

Then, after playing WSL newcomers Everton at St George’s Park, we travel to Portugal for a game against Sporting Lisbon. For a round-up of the Women’s Euro 2017 finals and an interview with new Ladies player Magdalena Eriksson, turn to page 68.

chelseafc.com

Chelsea TV will continue to have unparalleled access to the Blues squad throughout 2017/18, bringing you exclusive interviews with Antonio Conte and the players during the campaign. We will also have exciting matchday shows, live Academy matches, features with club legends and much more.

You can also enjoy some of the best video content across the club’s social media channels. Here is just a snapshot of what you can look forward to this season:

@ChelseaFC

Friday 18 August, 7pm Premier League 2 v Derby County

BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS Chelsea Re-Seen and Unseen showcase some of the best action involving all our teams, along with behind-the-scenes content from matchdays and the training ground.

The best skills each week are showcased in Worldie Wednesdays.

Saturday 19 August, 11am U18s Premier League v Reading Friday 25 August, 7pm Premier League 2 v Everton

LIVE ACADEMY FOOTBALL We will have live coverage of both our Under-18s and development squad throughout the season.

We will show all home Under-18 Premier League and Premier League 2 fixtures as well as selected away games. When the FA Youth Cup gets under way, we will follow Jody Morris’ side every step of the way as they look to make it five triumphs on the bounce in that competition.

You can also watch UEFA Youth League and Checkatrade Trophy fixtures live.

You can watch the following matches live during August:

MATCHDAY SHOWS For all home games, our coverage begins an hour before kick-off with Pre-Match At The Bridge, when Jason Cundy and Ben Andrews will be live from the gantry, bringing you the teams as soon as they are announced. There’ll be analysis in the run-up to kick-off, followed by live commentary. After the game, stay tuned for Post-Match At The Bridge, featuring exclusive interviews with the manager and players as well as the fans’ phonein.

You can keep fully up-to-date on away fixtures with Wherever They May Be, when our team will be reporting live from every away game, while our studio panel offer expert analysis on all the action.

HIGHLIGHTS SHOWS You can watch highlights of all first-team and Academy matches in Post-Match Round-up, on Monday nights at 6.30pm.

To watch Chelsea TV online, go to chelseafc.com/join. To watch via Sky channel 421, call 08442 410 201 or visit www.sky.com/chelseatv.

You can also follow @ChelseaFC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Line.

5 SEPTEMBER SHUGGIE OTIS David Byrne of Talking Heads fame has likened Shuggie’s trippy R&B jams to “D’Angelo meets DJ Shadow”, which is nothing new for a man who made not one, but two genre-defying albums in the Seventies. Son of the rhythm and blues bandleader Johnny Otis, Shuggie was a guitar prodigy, cutting sessions with Frank Zappa and Al Kooper whilst still a teenager and at the age of 15 he was compared to Jimi Hendrix.

BLUES BIRTHDAYS

WILLIAN 09.08.88 (29)

TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO 17.08.94 (23)

CESAR AZPILICUETA 28.08.89 (28) 13

14

ALVARO

MORATA

SPANISH SPARK After tasting title success in Italy and Spain, and with two Champions League winner’s medals to his name, new Chelsea forward ALVARO MORATA tells us why he now feels ready to set the Premier League alight Words | Dominic Bliss Pictures | Darren Walsh

15

ALVARO MORATA

I

n Alvaro Morata there can be little doubt that Chelsea have signed a player used to winning major trophies. The 24-year-old already has an enviable medal collection from his time with Real Madrid and Juventus, and has made his way into one of the strongest Spain squads of all time in the same period.

The tall, elegant centre-forward has been part of two La Liga-winning squads in Madrid, either side of a pair of triumphant Serie A campaigns in Turin, and lifted the domestic cup in both countries twice as well. That would be a remarkable haul on its own, but Morata can also point to two Champions League winner’s medals as well, having helped Real Madrid to the continent’s biggest prize in 2013/14 and 2016/17.

In between those European triumphs, he also reached the final with Juventus, scoring the Italian club’s goal in a 3-1 loss to Barcelona.

FACTFILE Date of birth: 23.10.92 Nationality: Spanish Previous clubs: Real Madrid, Juventus

There is very little he has not already seen and experienced at the top end of the game, and now Morata feels he is ready to “make an explosion” in his career by leading the line for the Premier League champions.

We asked him about his enthusiasm for the challenge ahead and his passion for English football.

After coming through the ranks at Real Madrid and enjoying great success during a two-year spell in Italy, does this feel like the right time to make the move to Chelsea and the Premier League?

Yes, the time is now. I need to make an explosion in my career and I am at the perfect place, the perfect club to do that. I have all the things I need and if I can work hard, I can make good things happen. I have very big motivation, I always think like a winner and I want to win everything it is possible to win. Last season the team won the Premier League and now we can try to win it again, and maybe the Champions League.

You have said in the recent past that if you left Real Madrid it would be for a Premier League club and you seemed pretty certain about that...

“ I ALWAYS THINK LIKE A WINNER AND I WANT TO WIN EVERYTHING IT IS POSSIBLE TO WIN. LAST SEASON THE TEAM WON THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND NOW WE CAN TRY TO WIN IT AGAIN, AND MAYBE THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

”

It is the perfect situation. I decided to play in the Premier League and I want to

Alvaro Morata has signed a five-year contract with the Blues

16

Training alongside his new team-mates in Singapore

play in Antonio’s team. Now I need to work hard, score goals and play well for the team.

There are very good players here and I think we can do something amazing. It is hard to leave Madrid but it is not so hard when you come to a club like Chelsea, with these players and with this coach.

Does the idea of experiencing new stadiums, cities, fans and opponents excite you?

Yeah! It is an incredible emotion but the first thing I want to do is go to Stamford Bridge and see all the Chelsea supporters.

What, for you, is so special about the Premier League?

When I was little I watched it with my dad and it is incredible – a lot of goals and fast matches, and I really want to play here. I saw Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres and thought probably in a few years I will take this place, and now I can’t wait to play at Stamford Bridge and in the Premier League.

Last season your goals were worth 13 points to Real Madrid, which suggests you score at significant moments...

I scored important goals but I think I can

score more and earn more points for the team, and I hope to do that this year.

Playing up front in Serie A really helps you to understand the importance of goals. Do you feel that experience will stand you in good stead as you start life in another new country?

At that moment I needed to go out of my home, out of my family and I understand I needed to grow up and to be a man. And Juventus was the perfect place for me. In Italy I support Juventus because I played there, but it is the past and now I am a Chelsea player, I want to win here.

When you arrived at Juventus in 2014 you just missed out on playing for Antonio Conte as he left before the season got under way to take the Italy job. Are you looking forward to working with him?

I know Antonio wanted me in the past and I really want to work with him, and finally destiny put us together. I can’t wait to play for him and for Chelsea and to win together.

It was disappointing in 2014 when

17

BOUTIQUES GENÈVE • PARIS • LONDON • BERLIN • NEW YORK MIAMI • BEVERLY HILLS • LAS VEGAS MOSCOW • DUBAI • TOKYO • HONG KONG SINGAPORE • SAINT-TROPEZ • CANNES COURCHEVEL • GSTAAD • ZERMATT • ZÜRICH

hublot.com

Classic Fusion Chelsea.

Official Watch of Chelsea Football Club.

Self-winding chronograph movement in a titanium case. Dial adorned with Chelsea's logo displayed at 12 o'clock.

Blue alligator strap stitched on rubber.

Limited edition of 200 pieces.

ALVARO MORATA

speak a lot with the other team-mates to learn good English!

he went to Italy, but I played well and had a good year at Juventus.

I really wanted to work with this coach and finally I am. I know his work, the staff. I know it is a lot of tactics and I really like this game. I know how to play in this system.

Your English seems pretty good considering you have just arrived. We hear you picked some stuff up during visits to see family in America. Is that right?

Link-up play with the likes of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian will be crucial when you are leading the line here and that is one of your strengths. How do you see yourself fitting into the Chelsea system?

I know the striker is important for this team because it is systematic, tactical work and if one player doesn’t know the movement, it is bad for the team. I think I can fit in well and I want to play with guys like Pedro, Eden and Willian – they are amazing players.

Yes, but only little things like give me a pizza or a drink! I need to improve.

In pre-season action against Bayern Munich

It must also help that you already knew plenty of the squad from the Spain national team...

For me it is very good I have many Spanish players here but I also need to

Before I joined the squad in Singapore for pre-season, I did one session at Cobham on my own and it is perfect for training – a fantastic atmosphere, very green, all the Chelsea people are friendly and I have felt at home since the first day.

FERNANDO TORRES

Each of the 11 Spanish players who represented Chelsea before Morata have scored a competitive goal for the club.

Here are three of our favourites netted by former Blues from the Iberian peninsula

Best goal: v Barcelona, 2012 Chelsea career: 2011-14 (172 apps/42 goals) Like our newest Spanish arrival, our then record signing from Liverpool has a goal in a UEFA club final to his name, but his effort in the 2013 Europa League decider doesn’t get the nod for his best as a Blue.

Of course, nothing could eclipse his goal in the dying minutes of an epic Champions League semi against Barcelona after the most dogged of rearguard performances.

Think back to when he rounded Victor Valdes and try to wipe that smile from your face. What a moment.

ALBERT FERRER

Best goal: v Hertha Berlin, 1999 Chelsea career: 1998-03 (113 apps/1 goal) Chelsea’s first Spanish player was known as Chapi to his team-mates, who came to rely on him for his defensive qualities – but not his goalscoring.

His solitary effort for the Blues, however, was a vital strike against Hertha Berlin in our maiden Champions League campaign to seal our spot in the next round. There was clearly something in the air that night as Didier Deschamps also scored his only Blues goal.

Finally, what have your first impressions been of life at Chelsea?

JUAN MATA

Best goal: v Manchester United, 2012 Chelsea career: 2011-14 (135 apps/33 goals) In two-and-a-half years with the Blues, Juan Mata won back-to-back honours in Europe and was twice named Player of the Year. Although the No10 was primarily an assists man, he could always be relied on to chip in with his fair share of goals, netting 33 in total, and the pick of the bunch came against the side he now plays for. In a 3-3 draw with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, this stunning left-footed volley at the far post left his compatriot David de Gea grasping at thin air.

19

YOUR

5

BETTING EXPERIENCE y la P le g o o G n o p p a e h Get t

THE SUN

JOE

William Hill rules apply. Over 18s only. Image for illustration purposes.

FOR ADVICE & INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GAMBLEAWARE.CO.UK. NATIONAL GAMBLING HELPLINE 0808 8020 133.

UNILAD

TIEMOUE

BAKAYOKO

PERFECT MATCH After sealing his dream move to west London, midfielder TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO explains why the hard work starts now as he sets his sights on winning silverware with the Blues Words | Dominic Bliss Pictures | Darren Walsh

How pleased are you to have joined Chelsea?

I am very happy to be here. For me this is the biggest English club, and I hope to achieve great things here. I am very proud.

Chelsea are a great club with a great history, and they are the champions of England. My wish was to be at the best English club there is today.

I think it was the right moment for a fresh start.

The move happened fairly naturally. Chelsea are a club I really loved during my childhood. I FACTFILE Date of birth: 17.08.94 Nationality: French Previous clubs: Rennes, Monaco

am very happy and proud for me, my family and the people who have been following me for a very long time. Now the work starts for all of us together to progress.

What have you made of the training ground at Cobham?

I have got a great reception and I’m very much impressed by the facilities here.

Everything is much bigger than I have known, and it seems like the perfect place to play football.

How much are you looking forward to working with Antonio Conte and what did he say to you the first time you met up with him here?

We spoke a lot about tactics, and training, and he took the time to talk to me about my game and explain I must

21

TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO

offers physicality and can also dribble and get past people.

Last season was a big one in your career as you won Ligue 1 with Monaco and reached the Champions League semi-final. How has that helped to prepare you for this new challenge?

Last year we had to compete against a very good team, Paris Saint-Germain, and therefore the bar was very high. We showed how important it is to play well as a team and display a mixture of very good qualities.

Now I want to win more.

In the Champions League, I had the opportunity to play in the semi-final last year and Chelsea are well-equipped to win the Champions League. I’m going to do my best to help the team win this trophy.

N’Golo Kanté in pre-season action against Bayern Munich

be serious-minded and work hard.

We know very well that Antonio Conte is a manager who likes players who are serious, who work hard for the group. I chose to come to Chelsea to evolve with this coach as well. He’s a coach that wins a lot of trophies.

You are joining your compatriot N’Golo Kanté at the club. What have you made of his performances and achievements in English football so far and do you have any other friends in the squad here?

N’Golo Kanté has proved it all. He was the

“ I LIKE TO GET THE BALL BACK AND DISTRIBUTE IT WELL. I THINK I AM AN INTELLIGENT PLAYER WHO OFFERS PHYSICALITY AND CAN ALSO DRIBBLE AND GET PAST PEOPLE

”

What have you made of the Premier League when watching from afar?

I know that the Premier League is a very difficult championship, one of the most difficult in the world. It is very physical and I know you must be in fighting form to compete in this league. Chelsea won the Premier League last year, so I hope to regain the title again this season.

You met Manchester City and Tottenham in European competition while with Monaco. Did you get a taste of what Premier League football is like in those games?

They were two teams who play very good football. They play with a lot of intensity and they were very hard to play against.

For those who haven’t seen you play much, how would you describe your game?

That is always a hard question to answer. I think I’m a player with good technique. I’m aggressive. I like to get the ball back and distribute it well. I think I am an intelligent player who

22

Talking to head coach Antonio Conte on the training ground

best player in the Premier League last season in the middle of the pitch and that is not easy. To play alongside him would be something very good for me and it can help me progress.

I’ve played a match with him for the French national team so we know each other very well and I hope we can do beautiful things together this year.

I also know Michy Batshuayi – we’re very good friends. I didn’t know many others in the group when I signed.

You worked with Claude Makelele when he was coaching at Monaco. What was that like?

Yes, Makelele helped me greatly. When he arrived at Monaco I wasn’t a very, very good player, but I had a lot of discussions with him, he gave me a lot of advice, and he allowed me to play my style of football more simply.

League final, where he scored the header against Bayern Munich and then successfully scored his penalty that helped win that competition.

What other players have you admired as you have been progressing?

And you have said before that Didier Drogba is a hero of yours...

Drogba has had a stellar career and he managed to do so many great things, first at Marseille and then here at Chelsea. He is definitely an example I wish to follow, be it the footballer or the person himself. He showed the whole world what he was and I saw that and admired it. I watched him a lot. I remember especially the Champions

N’Golo Kanté became the latest French midfielder to play his part in a trophy-winning team at Chelsea and Bakayoko will be hoping to follow suit this season. Here are three others who have helped secure silverware for the Blues

What are your hopes for the season ahead?

I have the ambition to play as many matches as possible, to progress as much as I can with a great coach like Antonio Conte, and then I have the objective of taking part in the World Cup at the end of the season.

FLORENT MALOUDA

Trophies won: Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League Chelsea career: 2007-13 (229 apps/45 goals)

DIDIER DESCHAMPS

Trophy won: FA Cup Chelsea career: 1999-00 (47 apps/1 goal) Infamously labelled “the water carrier” by Eric Cantona, Deschamps enjoyed a glittering career prior to his arrival at the Bridge, captaining France to the World Cup and European Championship in consecutive tournaments and twice lifting the Champions League. He was signed by the Blues ahead of our maiden voyage into Europe’s premier club competition and left west London after a season with an FA Cup winner’s medal in his back pocket.

I have very much modelled my career on current players like Paul Pogba and [Geoffrey] Kondogbia. These are the people of my generation who have helped me a lot.

CLAUDE MAKELELE

Few wingers can match Malouda’s goal haul during his time at Chelsea, and he was positively prolific during the Carlo Ancelotti era as we secured a first-ever Premier League and FA Cup double. In tandem with best mate Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, the former Ligue 1 Player of the Year was unstoppable at times and he even finished as our leading scorer in the league in 2010/11. His final game for the Blues was in our triumphant Champions League final in Munich.

Trophies won: Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup Chelsea career: 2003-08 (217 apps/2 goals) No write-up on one of our finest midfielders is complete without mentioning how the “Makelele role” was written into the English football lexicon; nearly a decade on, he remains the yardstick against whom all defensive midfielders on these shores are measured. Players’ Player of the Year awards were invented to give selfless footballers like Maka the credit they deserve and he was a vital part of two Premier League-winning sides.

23

ANTONIO

RUDIGER

PASSION PLAY After joining Chelsea over the summer, versatile defender ANTONIO RUDIGER tells us of his determination to help the Blues become an even stronger force this season Words | Dominic Bliss Pictures | Darren Walsh Tell us how your first few weeks as a Chelsea player have been...

I met the team for the first time in Singapore and I was very excited to arrive at the club. The players and staff all gave me a warm welcome, and I’m very thankful for that. I knew I had come to a big club and that makes me happy.

It also makes me want to achieve more and improve myself. Everything is new and you start from zero again. It’s a new opportunity.

You speak English very well – did you learn it as a child?

I started to learn English very early at home through my parents, who are from Sierra FACTFILE Date of birth: 03.03.93 Nationality: German Previous clubs: Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart, Roma

Leone, which was colonised by England. I also started English from a young age in school.

How did it feel to be unveiled as a Chelsea player?

For me, it’s an honour to play for a club like Chelsea. My name was linked with Chelsea for a while and now I’m here, it makes me very proud. The training ground is amazing, with fantastic facilities. I’m very happy to be at the club and, for me, the coach is also very important.

Working with Antonio Conte must have been a big attraction?

Definitely, and hopefully I can adjust quickly. I played in Italy, with Roma, and I’m a defender, so for me the tactical is very important.

I think, with Conte, I have one of the best coaches now.

25

ANTONIO RUDIGER

“

I ENJOY THE PHYSICAL ELEMENT OF THE GAME AND PUTTING IN STRONG TACKLES. I’M A FAST PLAYER AND I PLAY WITH PASSION. I ALWAYS GIVE 100 PER CENT AND I WANT THE FANS TO KNOW THAT

”

How would you describe your style of play?

It’s difficult to talk about your own qualities but I would say I enjoy the physical element of the game and putting in strong tackles. I’m a fast player and I play with passion. I always give 100 per cent and I want the fans to know that.

What did you learn while playing in Italy with Roma over the past two seasons?

I developed a lot in that time. I really made the next step and that was important for my career. In Italy I

26

learned a lot as a defender from a tactical point of view and I have to say a big thankyou to the people at Roma who helped me develop and achieve the move to Chelsea.

You played in a back four and a back three in Italy. How important is that versatility?

In my position, it’s good, because I can play right-back, I can play centre-back, I can play with three centre-backs or in a back four.

Did you manage to see much of Chelsea during our Premier League-winning campaign last season?

Yes, of course. In my opinion the Premier League is the best in the world, where every

player wants to play. I think everyone in the world knows the Premier League and everyone in the world knows Chelsea. I love the open game in this country and that’s why I’m here. I watched a lot of Premier League games growing up and a lot of them stand out, especially a game against Everton [in December 2006] when Didier Drogba scored a really fantastic goal to win it.

I followed the matches last season and it was a great one for Chelsea. They deserved their success. Every player dreams of winning titles – me too – and I think the chances of doing that are high with Chelsea.

You made a name for yourself at a young age in Germany, winning the prestigious Fritz Walter medal for the best Under-19s player in 2012. Did you feel any pressure or expectation with that award?

In Germany, this award is a big thing for a youth player and on the day I remember my ex-Sporting Director came to me and said I had won it, I couldn’t believe it. I said, “No! For sure that’s not true.” But then they announced it and that was a special moment for me. I was very happy because most of the players who won that

was very positive for me to be involved and obviously it was a great success. It was important to play against some top international teams and I hope I will be able to play in many more big tournaments in the future.

trophy became big, successful players and national team players. It was a good sign.

It isn’t often that defenders win individual awards, but the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus stand out as exceptions. They seem to appreciate good defenders in Germany...

What do you hope to achieve with Chelsea in the coming campaign?

I think every country appreciates good defenders but, as you said, Germany has had good defenders, like Beckenbauer, Matthaus and Matthias Sammer. I try to do my best to follow that line, but everybody has their own destiny.

I’m really looking forward to it. I just want to help the team become even stronger. I hope to learn a lot from Antonio Conte, who is a great coach, and so many talented teammates. I want to speak to them and learn from them because it’s a big honour to be at this fantastic club.

Obviously it would also be great if I could lift a trophy at the end of the season.

What was it like to be part of the Germany team that won the Confederations Cup this summer?

It was a wonderful experience for me.

I missed the Euros through injury so it

ANDRE SCHURRLE

Last season was an anomaly; our first Premier League title success without a German player picking up a winner’s medal at the end of the campaign.

Rudiger will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of three of his fellow countryman who previously helped us to championship glory

Premier League winner: 2015 Chelsea career: 2013-15 (65 apps/14 goals) Signed from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, this adaptable forward joined an elite group of Chelsea players to win the World Cup while plying their trade in west London. He returned from setting up the winner in the final in Brazil to score the third goal in our opening weekend win over Burnley, applying the finishing touch to a fine team goal.

Although he departed for Wolfsburg midway through the campaign, Schürrle made enough appearances to earn a Premier League winner’s medal.

ROBERT HUTH

Premier League winner: 2005, 2006 Chelsea career: 2001-06 (62 apps/2 goals) One of the key figures in Leicester City’s miraculous Premier League title success of 2016, Huth was able to draw on the experience accrued during his time at Chelsea, when he was twice involved in championshipwinning squads. His no-nonsense style of defending and penchant for a blockbuster strike made him something of a cult hero at the Bridge and he was even occasionally deployed as a makeshift centre-forward when the situation called for added physicality.

MICHAEL BALLACK

Premier League winner: 2010 Chelsea career: 2006-10 (167 apps/26 goals) Having won the domestic Double in three of his four seasons with Bayern Munich, Ballack repeated the trick in England during his final campaign at Chelsea in 2009/10 to add to the League Cup winner’s medal he secured in 2007.

You can read all about his Blues career from the man himself in this month’s Drawing On Experience interview on page 40.

27

WILLY

CABALLERO

A GREAT CATCH The Blues have strengthened our goalkeeping options with the signing of WILLY CABALLERO, and the vastly experienced Argentine tells us why joining the champions is an opportunity he is grasping with both hands Words | Dominic Bliss Pictures | Darren Walsh

What were your thoughts when you received a call from Chelsea this summer?

When I received the call, when I listened to the opportunity to come to the champions and a fantastic team like Chelsea have had in the past decade to 15 years, when they built an amazing story, I didn’t have to think too much.

I immediately said yes. It was a great opportunity to stay in FACTFILE Date of birth: 28.09.91 Nationality: Argentinian Previous clubs: Boca Juniors, Elche, Arsenal Sarandi (loan), Malaga, Manchester City

the Premier League, in a big team, and to keep improving as a keeper.

I had a few opportunities to stay in the Premier League but the chance to join the champions, and a massive team like Chelsea, was a big opportunity for me and my family.

Is the Premier League different to the other leagues you have played in?

Definitely. In the way we play and we live in the Premier League, the organisation, everything is different.

The most important for people that watch the games is the way we play. All the time it’s attack or counter-attack, it’s amazing for the people. We players do our best to close the game sometimes, but we know the power of other teams sometimes makes

29

WILLY CABALLERO

fantastic group of keepers, and I already knew very quickly that I am really happy with Thibaut and Eduardo. I will try to achieve their level and help them if I can.

that difficult. It can be really difficult to win a game, and because of this it’s the most beautiful league for the fans.

Also, it’s really difficult to be the champions here. There are six or seven fantastic teams, and in other leagues there are just two or three.

This is the biggest difference.

How would you describe your approach to goalkeeping?

It’s difficult for me to say. I just try to be very concentrated and very focused, trying to be safe and secure. I try to bring security to my backline, my defenders, I try to talk a lot and advise them on everything. This is my way to be alive during the game.

Did you know Thibaut Courtois from his time in Spain, when you were also playing in La Liga?

We played against each other three or four times in La Liga, and he showed when he was younger what a good keeper he is. We had the opportunity to talk after games. The players he played with told me he is a good guy.

Before signing, I didn’t know

Enjoying a game of volleyball with fellow goalkeeper Marcin Bulka

Who were your heroes growing up?

anyone else in the Chelsea squad personally.

It’s a new challenge coming into a new team with nobody I met before.

We are training so hard now, there is a

My hero was my father. He is a fantastic father and he worked really hard to allow me to train as a kid in

RAMIRES

Plenty of South Americans have left their mark on Stamford Bridge over the past two decades to become fans’ favourites among the Chelsea faithful. Here are three of the best former Blues from that continent

Nationality: Brazilian Chelsea career: 2010-16 (251 apps/34 goals)

GUSTAVO POYET

Nationality: Uruguayan Chelsea career: 1997-01 (145 apps/49 goals) The first South American to represent Chelsea was the latest in a string of successful Bosman signings, joining us from Real Zaragoza two years after he won the Copa America with Uruguay.

His stunning opening day goal against Sunderland in 1999 was one of 49 he netted for the Blues, which came from just 145 appearances. Like his successor, Frank Lampard, Poyet had an innate ability to put himself in the right position at the right time, and he finished as top scorer on our way to winning the FA Cup in 2000.

30

HERNAN CRESPO

Nationality: Argentinian Chelsea career: 2003-08 (73 apps/25 goals) Once signed by Lazio for a world-record transfer fee, Crespo was a raw goalscorer whose intelligent off-the-ball movement was matched by a clinical touch in the penalty box. Across his two seasons at the Bridge, which were punctuated by a year at AC Milan and followed by two on loan at Inter, each of his 25 goals were celebrated with typical Latin exuberance which simply endeared him further to the supporters. In 2005/06 he was rotated with Didier Drogba to great effect, helping us to the Premier League title, and he remains Argentina’s third-highest scorer of all time.

Like Chelsea’s current No7, N’Golo Kanté, the previous incumbent earned rave reviews for his incredible engine which saw him finish games as strongly as he started them. Ramires won every major domestic and European honour during his five-and-a-half years at the Bridge and he showed there was more to his game than simply hard running by winning two Goal of the Season awards, the second of which was his unforgettable chip against Barcelona in the 2012 Champions League semi-final.

another city far from my house. He did everything that allowed me to improve as a keeper and gave me money to do it. As a keeper, I have one very good idol. He’s called Oscar Cordoba, he was a Colombian keeper and I played and trained with him at Boca Juniors. I received a lot of teaching from him. He showed me a lot of things that I like to do during the game.

Does your father come to see you play?

He lives in Argentina but he came to see me play at Manchester City a few times.

He saw the League Cup final against Liverpool two years ago, and fingers crossed I have games to play here and he can come.

You played a good number of games at Manchester City, but for much of the time you were a substitute. Does it take a special kind of mentality to take on that role?

I think us keepers are ready because we know only one can play. We are ready because we compete every day with our substitute, or vice versa, when we aren’t the first choice. We have good relationships.

We have to achieve our best level to take the opportunity when it arrives. As a second keeper you must keep training hard, pushing, pushing, because when you receive the opportunity you must do it well. This has to be the mentality for a keeper or a second keeper.

In the last three years I have been the second keeper, and I tried to help a lot the first choice, Joe Hart and then Claudio Bravo, and when I had the opportunity I wanted to take it. It’s hard but we are ready for it.

Of course, we remember you saving Eden Hazard’s penalty at the Bridge last season!

Yes, but it wasn’t good enough because he scored from the rebound! Sometimes we have an opportunity to make good saves, sometimes it’s good for the team and sometimes it’s not good enough.

Saving penalties seems to be one of your strengths…

Yeah, in the last two seasons I have had the luck to save a few penalties. It’s really

In goal for the Blues during our match against Arsenal in Beijing

“

I WATCH A LOT OF PENALTIES, THE WAY THE PLAYERS RUN, THE REPETITIONS, BUT ALL THE STUDY CHANGES WHEN THEY’RE IN FRONT OF YOU. IT’S ABOUT TAKING A DECISION AT THE RIGHT MOMENT

”

difficult and it’s not a science to say this penalty goes this way or that way. It’s more about intuition and if we know the taker, probably we can choose something, but it’s really difficult.

I watch a lot of penalties, the way the players run, the repetitions, but all the study changes when they’re in front of you. It’s about taking a decision at the right moment with the right tempo, and all your knowledge that you gained from

before, you try to put in the current moment.

What are your aims for the season ahead?

As a group we have a lot of achievements to aim for. We want to win trophies in the same way Chelsea did in the last years. As a keeper I would like to play games, help Thibaut and keep improving with him.

31

ENGLAND STAMFORD BRIDGE

CHINA BIRDS NEST

SINGAPORE NATIONAL STADIUM

TRIP TO REMEMBER The Blues were busy on and off the pitch during our pre-season tour in Asia, where supporters enjoyed the opportunity to meet their heroes as the team prepared for the upcoming campaign

The first-team squad spent the second half of July in China and Singapore for our 2017 Tour of the Champions.

As well as forming a crucial part of the squad’s pre-season preparations for the 2017/18 campaign, the tour allowed us to bring Chelsea closer to our many fans in the region and continue to leave a lasting legacy off the pitch in the communities we visit.

In addition to our friendly fixtures against Arsenal in China and Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in Singapore, Antonio Conte and his players met our local fans at events organised by principal partners Nike and Yokohama Tyres in both locations, as well as with our newest partner Ericsson in Singapore.

32

1

2 “We met a lot of Chelsea fans and they give us a lot of love,” said N’Golo Kanté. “It’s good for us to see all the support from the fans here and we have to try to give a good image of our team to give a little back to them.”

Conte added: “We must be pleased with the atmosphere and with the fans because to find in China and Singapore so many Chelsea fans is great. They created a fantastic atmosphere in all three games and I want to thank them all.”

Cesar Azpilicueta joined technical director Michael Emenalo to meet members of Chelsea supporters’ clubs from around China in Beijing, while our Singapore Supporters’ Club received gifts from the club as staff and the Premier League trophy attended their 10th anniversary celebrations.

The rest of our fans in Singapore also enjoyed a photo opportunity with the Premier League trophy, as we welcomed them to the Fan Zone at the National Stadium all day ahead of our fixtures against Bayern and Inter at the venue.

Staff were on hand at the stadium to keep our supporters entertained, while handing out gifts including tour

programmes, and every fan in the Chelsea half of the stadium found a special Tour of the Champions flag waiting for them on their seat.

Of course, while it was all smiles off the pitch, there was plenty of hard work for the players on it as they were put through their paces in preparation for the 2017/18 campaign.

“It’s been very tough, but it always is early on, it’s not easy to get back in shape,” explained Marcos Alonso. “In China the humidity is really high which makes it hard, with lots of running and strength work, but it was good to be back. It’s very important to always be in the best physical condition, even more so these days because every team is fit and there are a lot of strong players in the Premier League. It’s something Antonio pays a lot of attention to.”

The Chelsea Foundation were busy in China and Singapore, too, with their work in grassroots football key to our Here to Play, Here to Stay philosophy. A big part of their activity during the tour focused on improving local coaching methods and knowledge, putting on free workshops including classroom sessions and

practical demonstrations, passing on our experience in football coaching to those who work with youngsters in the area all year round.

The Foundation coaches also worked directly with local children by providing training sessions aimed at improving both individual skills and team play for young participants.

To celebrate the Blues’ visit to the region, we hosted the Chelsea Foundation Asia Tour Cup 2017, which saw young players from Chelsea Soccer Schools in Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore, along with guest teams from local schools and football academies, come together to compete in one-day tournaments and coaching sessions for various age groups at United World College East in Singapore.

1

N’Golo Kanté and Antonio Conte share a laugh during a training session at Singapore National Stadium

2

Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill sign autographs for supporters during a Yokohama event at The Ritz-Carlton in Singapore 33

TOUR OF THE

3 4

34

ENGLAND STAMFORD BRIDGE

CHINA BIRDS NEST

SINGAPORE NATIONAL STADIUM

5 6

3 4 5 6

Carlo Cudicini and Henrique Hilario parade the Premier League trophy around the pitch before our match against Arsenal Chelsea supporters enjoy the chance to meet club mascots Stamford and Bridget before our game against Bayern Munich at Singapore’s National Stadium David Luiz gives Gary Cahill a helping hand during a gym session at Singapore American School Technical director Michael Emenalo meeting fans at a Chinese supporters’ club event in Beijing 35

TOUR OF THE

7

8

9 10

36

ENGLAND STAMFORD BRIDGE

CHINA BIRDS NEST

SINGAPORE NATIONAL STADIUM

11 12

7

Children taking part in one of the Chelsea Foundation events in China

8

Cesc FĂ bregas and Marcos Alonso put their backs into a training session at Singapore American School

9

Victor Moses, Willian and David Luiz enjoy being the centre of attention on stage at a Nike event in Beijing

10

Youngsters receive coaching advice during a football session in Singapore

11

Alvaro Morata celebrates scoring a goal on FIFA 17 with Cesar Azpilicueta at The Ritz-Carlton

12

Willy Caballero practices his ball-catching skills while working out in the gym

37

MATCH STATS

13 BIRD’S NEST, BEIJING, CHINA, 22.07.17, 7.40PM LOCAL, 12.40PM UK TIME

14

ARSENAL 0 CHELSEA 3

Willian 40, Batshuayi 42, 49

Arsenal (3-4-2-1)

Ospina (Martinez 74); Maitland-Niles (Koscielny h/t), Mertesacker (c) (Elneny h/t), Monreal (Kolasinac h/t); Oxlade-Chamberlain (Willock 69), Ramsey (Nelson 69), Xhaka (Coquelin h/t), Bramall (Welbeck h/t); Ozil (Malen 74), Iwobi; Lacazette (Giroud h/t).

Booked: Kolasinac Mananger: Arsène Wenger

Chelsea (3-4-2-1)

Courtois (Caballero h/t); Azpilicueta (Kalas 77), David Luiz (Christensen 77), Cahill (c) (Clarke-Salter 77); Moses (Tomori 68), Fàbregas (Scott 77), Kanté (Pasalic 77), Alonso (Kenedy 68); Willian (Baker 68), Pedro (Boga 28); Batshuayi (Remy 68).

Head Coach: Antonio Conte Referee: Fu Ming (China) Attendance: 55,618

38

13

Willian fires home the opening goal during our match against Arsenal at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium

14

Our captain holds the trophy awarded to the Blues following the 3-0 victory over the Gunners

Michy Batshuayi

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP, NATIONAL STADIUM, SINGAPORE, 25.07.17, 7.35PM LOCAL, 12.35PM UK TIME

BAYERN MUNICH 3

Antonio Rüdiger

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP, NATIONAL STADIUM, SINGAPORE, 29.07.17, 7.35PM LOCAL, 12.35PM UK TIME

INTER MILAN 2

Rafinha 6, Muller 12, 27

Jovetic 45+3, Perisic 53

CHELSEA 2

CHELSEA 1

Alonso 45+3, Batshuayi 85

Kondogbia own goal 74

Victor Moses

FA COMMUNITY SHIELD, WEMBLEY STADIUM, 06.08.17, 2PM

ARSENAL 1

Kolasinac 82

CHELSEA 1

Moses 46

AFTER 90 MINUTES LOST 1-4 ON PENALTIES

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)

Inter Milan (4-2-3-1)

Arsenal (3-4-2-1)

Starke (Fruchtl h/t); Rafinha (F Gotze 63),

Padelli; D’Ambrosio (Ranocchia 90+1), Skriniar,

Cech; Holding, Mertesacker (c) (Kolasinac 32),

Javi Martinez, Hummels, Friedl; Renato Sanches,

Miranda (c) (Murillo 71), Nagatomo (Ansaldi 71);

Monreal; Bellerin, Elneny, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain;

Tolisso (Pantovic 63); James Rodriguez,

Gagliardini, Borja Valero (Valietti 77);

Iwobi (Walcott 66), Welbeck (Nelson 87);

Muller (c) (Wintzheimer 80), Ribery (Dorsch 80);

Candreva (Kondogbia 58), Brozovic (Barbosa 71),

Lacazette (Giroud 66)

Lewandowski (Kingsley Coman h/t).

Perisic (Eder 71); Jovetic (Joao Mario 58).

Unused subs: Ospina, Maitland-Niles, Willock

Mananger: Carlo Ancelotti

Mananger: Luciano Spalletti

Booked: Bellerin Mananger: Arsène Wenger

Chelsea (3-4-2-1)

Chelsea (3-4-2-1)

Chelsea (3-4-2-1)

Courtois (Eduardo 75); Azpilicueta, Christensen

Courtois; Azpilicueta (Tomori 88), David Luiz,

Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (c); Moses,

(David Luiz 63), Cahill (c); Moses, Fàbregas (Pasalic 85),

Cahill (c) (Clarke-Salter 88); Moses (Cuevas 88),

Fàbregas, Kanté, Alonso (Rudiger 78);

Kanté, Alonso (Tomori 75); Willian, Boga (Morata 63);

Fàbregas (Scott 88), Kanté (Pasalic 88),

Willian (C Musonda 82),

Batshuayi (Baker 85).

Alonso (Rudiger 53); Willian (C Musonda 64),

Pedro; Batshuayi (Morata 74)

Booked: Moses

Morata (Boga 64); Batshuayi (Remy 88).

Unused subs: Caballero, Christensen, Scott, Boga

Head Coach: Antonio Conte

Head Coach: Antonio Conte

Injured: Hazard, Bakayoko

Referee: Taqi Jahari (Singapore)

Referee: Sukhbir Singh (Singapore)

Booked: Azpilicueta, Alonso, Willian

Attendance: 48,522

Attendance: 32,547

Head Coach: Antonio Conte

Sent off: Pedro 80 (serious foul play)

Penalty shoot-out: Cahill (1-0), Walcott (1-1),

Marcos Alonso

Charly Musonda Jr

Monreal (1-2), Courtois (missed, 1-2), Morata (missed, 1-2), Oxlade-Chamberlain (1-3), Giroud (1-4) Referee: Bobby Madley Attendance: 83,325

Cesar Azpilicueta

39

40

DRAWING ON EXPERIENCE

Winning feeling Lauded as one of the world’s finest midfielders when he signed for the Blues, MICHAEL BALLACK looks back on an enjoyable spell in west London, when he was one of several big characters in a strong Chelsea team

H

ow do you remember the circumstances of your move to Chelsea in the summer of 2006?

I had been playing four years for Bayern and my big target was winning the Champions League. Chelsea were structuring the club in a new way, investing a lot in players and having the biggest targets a player can have.

So that combination was why I saw my future with the club, and living in London, with my family, was another reason for me to choose Chelsea. I joined the club at the point where they had won the league for two seasons, but they also wanted to win international titles.

Did you have any preconceptions about English football and was it the same as you thought it would be when you started playing for Chelsea?

Of course, there was a kind of expectation that the football was tough, physically, but I was always confident I could adapt well because my style of play, I thought, suited English football. And then when I came over and started playing, what I expected came even more true because the referees didn’t whistle too much for free-kicks, there were a lot of challenges, and it was physically a much stronger level than all other leagues.

I had played in Germany for many years and, in the Champions League, when you

play against Spanish teams or Italian teams, you get a good idea of other leagues, and English football was more physical. It was as I expected, to be honest.

There were a lot of players in the Chelsea squad with you who were captains of their national teams. Had you ever played for a team with so many leaders?

No, that wasn’t normal. It was an exception, and at times it was a delicate situation, especially for the coach who had to handle all those big characters. It’s not always easy, but I think we did well, overall, and we had the intelligence you need to step back in certain situations. You don’t have to lead all the time, maybe like it was before when I played for clubs who had one, two, maximum three, leaders, and it was always down to them in difficult situations. We had a lot of leaders but I was sure we could push each other all the time, not just in the games but also in training, and there was always another one who could have an impact.

There were so many characters – not just the captains, but in general, this was a squad of very strong characteristics. The main thing was to have a strong coach to deal with all these players to make it work and put the energy of each one in the right direction.

There’s a small difference between going the right way and going in a way that creates problems in that situation. When you have these characters and you’re not playing 100 per cent well, it can create trouble. But I had 41

Drawing on EXPERIENCE the feeling, over my four years, that was never the case – all the coaches handled it really well.

You arrived at Chelsea as an already experienced player and a complete midfielder, but did you learn anything new during your four years here?

Yes, of course, I learned always. It was a completely new situation for me because I had always played in Germany. I had this view from the players, the media and the fans in Germany, but now I had moved to another country and I started again, not quite from zero, but it was new. You learn different ways of training, preparation, the English mentality, and so you have to adapt, but at the same time you are trying to bring your German ideas, and your team-mates are bringing other things

from other places as well. Each club and each country has its own traditions, its own identity, its own atmosphere during the matches – and that’s what made my time at Chelsea so special. It was totally different than what I had experienced before. You are surrounded by all these players from different national teams and you pick up a bit from everybody around you.

When did you feel at your best during those four years at Chelsea?

I felt pretty comfortable a few months after I had recovered from my injury in 2007/08. I had a difficult time to come back at first, under José Mourinho. I wanted to play and I couldn’t, so after the injury I was very motivated to play, by that time under Avram Grant. I think I had

a good time in that period. I can’t explain it but I felt really good as we went to the Champions League final that season.

That was a great period for me, but also the next season – 2008/09 – when we went out in the semi-final to Barcelona.

We probably had our strongest period in March and April of that season. We looked so strong and I really thought it was our best team, our best period, in my time at Chelsea. Even without winning the league, in the Champions League we were really, really good and we were unlucky not to win it that year.

I would also mention my last season, under Carlo Ancelotti, when we scored so many goals and also looked so comfortable. I had a slightly deeper role in midfield, in front of the defenders, and we could play very good football as we won the Double that year.

“There was a feeling at the club that we couldn’t lose”

Sharing a joke with manager Carlo Ancelotti in 2009 42

Michael Ballack In Champions League semi-final action against Barcelona at Camp Nou in 2009

If you look at the set-ups of the team you joined in 2006 and the team you left in 2010, they were completely different in their approach, weren’t they?

Yeah, that’s true. We felt really comfortable in our game. Under José we were wellorganised and everyone knew what he had to do. It was more relaxed football in my last year, under Ancelotti – an Italian coach with so much experience of handling big players and getting the best out of them. I think you could see that each player was really free and also the knowledge was good – players accepted their roles and he handled the whole squad really well. You could see that we were scoring so many goals and it was really enjoyable to watch us.

You mentioned those couple of months towards the end of the 2008/09 season – under Guus Hiddink – when you felt we were playing some of our best football.

Let’s talk about the Barcelona defeat in the Champions League semi-final when two great teams met in a great match, and the referee also had a big say in the outcome.

Does that stand out in your memory?

Yes, because we were so full of confidence at that time and we played against a fantastic Barcelona side. In the second leg especially,

at Stamford Bridge, we had them under so much control, we always felt we would win that game and reach the final. But somehow the referee... he had a bit of an impact! There’s no doubt it was really frustrating. You know you are the better team and then you also can’t really react after you concede a goal as late as we did. They scored in the 90th minute and I remember we had one or two chances even after that – we looked so strong.

At that time it seemed like we always had another gear we could pull into but that night was frustrating, especially as there was such a strong atmosphere in the dressing room, a comfortable atmosphere between the players. When we looked at each other, we knew we would win. There was a feeling at the club that we couldn’t lose. It was unique. But that was just one of those matches where you think, “Why did the referee make such decisions?” But that is football and you have to accept it, even if it was frustrating at the time, especially after what happened the year before in the final.

Was losing that 2008 final in Moscow an even worse feeling?

Of course. If it comes down to one shot, it’s the worst situation in football, for you

FACTFILE MICHAEL BALLACK BORN GÖRLITZ, EAST GERMANY DATE OF BIRTH 26.09.76 CHELSEA CAREER 2006-10 CHELSEA APPS, GOALS 167 APPS, 26 GOALS POSITION MIDFIELDER

43

All membership tiers include priority access to match tickets

MeMbership 2017/18 Adults from £26 | Kids from £22

CHELSEAFC.COM/MEMBERSHIP 01270

Michael Ballack Celebrating our FA Cup triumph in 2010 with Daniel Sturridge, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Juliano Belletti

“I enjoyed playing for Chelsea, it was a fantastic four years” understand and to deliver at the right time.

You can’t always play at your best – that’s not possible – but if you can’t do that, you can find that little bit extra to change the game.

as a player. But we came back and I think we were even stronger the year after, so going out again in the way we did against Barcelona... yeah... as I mentioned, it was pretty frustrating. I think that team deserved to win the Champions League.

Finally, how significant would you say your time at Chelsea was when you reflect on your career as a whole?

You did win every major domestic trophy during your time at Chelsea and you contributed in big moments, such as your winning goal against Blackburn in the 2007 FA Cup semi-final, or your brace against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in April 2008...

Sometimes you have to do this, even if you don’t play at your best, you do something to make sure you win the important games, and I think, overall, during my time at big clubs, the players understood that. That’s why these kinds of players play for the big clubs.

Mentally, they have that little bit extra to

It was really important because it gave me a different view of everything: the language, playing internationally, how the fans looked at me. When I go around the world, it’s Bayern, but I think it’s even more so Chelsea that people remember. The Premier League is seen all over the world so people watched you and, even more, people respected you.

Personally, I felt really comfortable there. Life was good. I enjoyed living in London and playing for Chelsea – it was a fantastic four years for me.

Celebrating his goal from the penalty spot against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in 2008

Interview by Dominic Bliss 45

CHELSEA GOLD

Each month we delve into the archives to remind you of a forgotten gem of a game from yesteryear. Kicking off this series is a seven-goal thriller at Ewood Park featuring the original Chelsea supersub Tore Andre Flo celebrates scoring the winning goal in the dying minutes

PREMIER LEAGUE, EWOOD PARK, 21.09.98

BLACKBURN ROVERS Sutton (2, 1 pen), Perez

F

or readers whose football upbringing coincided with the beginning of the Premier League in 1992, there is something special about a 4-3 scoreline.

A closely contested fixture featuring seven goals borders that fine line between the ridiculous and the sublime, which just makes for pure entertainment.

Chelsea’s trip to the North-West to face Blackburn Rovers in the autumn of 1998 fell perfectly into that category; a game which stands the test of time and was so engrossing it makes the yellow away kit worn by the visitors that day seem passable, for it immediately takes you back to a thrilling Monday night at Ewood Park.

Though we had won the European Super Cup at the end of August, manager Gianluca Vialli was under

46

3-4

CHELSEA Zola, Leboeuf (pen), Flo (2)

a bit of pressure, having gone winless through the opening three Premier League fixtures of the campaign before finally labouring to a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

Pierluigi Casiraghi had yet to hit the back of the net for his new side. However, the Italian wasn’t intended to be a

prolific striker. Rather, he was meant as a replacement for Mark Hughes, offering a battering ram option alongside the flair of Gianfranco Zola. To that end, he did his job against Rovers by winning the early free-kick from which we took the lead, forcing a clumsy foul from Christian Dailly.

Zola whipped the subsequent set-piece

Gianfranco Zola opens the scoring with this free-kick

Frank Leboeuf makes no mistake from the penalty spot to put the Blues 2-1 ahead

into the far corner and Tim Flowers’ halfhearted effort to keep it out was in vain.

Chelsea were in complete control for much of the first half. “Somehow, from somewhere, Blackburn need to get a strike on target,” implored commentator Paul Dempsey. Seconds later, Chris Sutton had turned Graeme Le Saux and emphatically finished past Ed de Goey to draw his side level.

Frank Leboeuf, meanwhile, was having one of those games where everything he did was either brilliant or lousy – one moment bursting forward dynamically to instigate an attack, the next missing a regulation header – and the skittishness at the back after Blackburn had equalised was giving the home side plenty of cause for optimism.

As so often happens, though, the halftime break gave the players an opportunity to reset and within five minutes of the restart we were back in front. Zola was heavily involved once again, winning a penalty kick from the clumsy Flowers, who simply did not need to challenge a forward who was running away from goal.

Despite Roy Hodgson’s protestations, it was a clear penalty, which Leboeuf fired low past the keeper to his right-hand side.

Advantage Chelsea.

It didn’t last long, however, as another defensive lapse allowed the home side

the simplest of equalisers. As his defence struggled to cope with a long ball, a misjudgement by De Goey left him stranded as a cross came in to be turned in by Sebastian Perez at the near post.

The game had been simmering throughout and it reached boiling point when the latest goalscorer caught Le Saux with a lunging challenge which earned him a yellow card and a rebuke from Sauxy, who refused the conciliatory handshake offered by the Frenchman.

Minutes later, the two tussled again by the sidelines; both had a handful of the other’s shirt and Le Saux dropped Perez with a right hand.

The decision to send him off was clear but as Perez made his way to his feet he was stunned to be shown a red of his own, albeit for two bookable offences. Hodgson was livid, launching a tirade at fourth official Stephen Lodge.

His mood will have lightened somewhat at the sight of Michael Duberry lunging in on Martin Dahlin in the penalty area, just the latest example of the slapdash defensive work by a unit which actually ended the campaign as the second stingiest in the division. Sutton drilled the ball down the middle and with only 11 minutes left in the contest, some could have been forgiven for thinking it would be the decisive moment.

They hadn’t accounted for Chelsea’s original

supersub, Tore Andre Flo, coming off the bench, however.

The Norwegian entered the action a few minutes after Brian Laudrup. Blues fans had seen the Danish winger as the man to provide a bit of fantasy from out wide, something which had been missing at Chelsea arguably since the days of Pat Nevin, but he had yet to really show why he was rated as one of the finest in Europe, an opinion which he had solidified with some dazzling displays at the World Cup. Now, however, he had finally come to the party; a slick one-two with Chapi Ferrer was followed by the type of firsttime cross which every striker dreams of. Flo did not need a second invitation to fling out his right boot to steer it past Flowers.

The game was delicately poised once again at 3-3, but there was still seven minutes left for someone to become a hero. That man would be Chelsea’s No19, a striker who made a welcome habit of influencing matches coming off the bench.

There looked to be little on for Ferrer when he received possession deep in his own half, but Blackburn’s defenders were dozing as they attempted to play offside, allowing the Spaniard to loft the ball over the top for Flo to chase. His first touch with his left-foot was immaculate, placing him between the posts, and he took two more to steady himself. Under pressure from the defence, it looked as though the chance had gone, but he held his nerve to slide home the coolest of finishes and settle the most spectacular game of the nascent 1998/99 campaign.

“Tore Andre Flo was on the pitch for only 11 minutes last night, but you could not call it a cameo role,” wrote The Independent. “The Norwegian scored twice to decide a tempestuous match that was a fast and furious cocktail of the exciting and the ugly.”

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2)

Flowers; Dailly, Henchoz, Peacock, Davidson; Perez, Sherwood (c), Flitcroft, Wilcox (McKinlay 79); Sutton, Dahlin

Chelsea (4-4-1-1)

De Goey; Ferrer, Duberry, Leboeuf, Le Saux; Poyet, Desailly, Wise (c) (Di Matteo 54), Babayaro; Zola (Laudrup 70); Casiraghi (Flo 77) Attendance: 23,113

47

START TO FINISH

SHOTS THAT TELL A HERO’S STORY In our new feature we take a photographical look at the key moments from a Chelsea legend’s career, from beginning to end, starting with DIDIER DROGBA Didier Drogba is a man who doesn’t really need an introduction for any Chelsea fan, but who doesn’t enjoy remembering his incredible two spells at Stamford Bridge?

He is a player who has become synonymous with the Blues’ unprecedented period of sustained success during the Roman Abramovich era, having joined the club in 2004 and scored many of the goals which proved crucial in bringing silverware to SW6. He hit the back of the net 157 times in 341 appearances during his first eight years, before returning to help us reclaim the Premier League title in 2014/15 with another seven goals that season.

He finally departed as our fourth-highest scorer of all time and the most prolific Chelsea player ever in European football, as well as a mantelpiece overflowing with awards and winner’s medals, but his goals and imperious performances on the pitch tell just part of the story of why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest to ever pull on the Blues shirt.

Drogba was also a strong leader and inspirational figure for his team-mates and supporters alike. From

48

our back-to-back titles in his first two campaigns at the Bridge, through the many cup finals he left his mark on, the club’s first domestic Double in 2010 and becoming inseparable from Chelsea’s biggest achievement to date with his decisive contribution to the 2012 Champions League final, he often drove the team forward with his strength of will and personality.

It was no surprise then, when José Mourinho opted to bring him back for a second spell in 2014 to provide cover in attacking positions, but more importantly add a formidable presence in the dressing room to share his passion and experience with the squad.

Of course, Drogba couldn’t resist the chance to represent the Blues again and be reunited with his first manager at Chelsea. Some were worried that, at the age of 36, he was risking his legacy at the club, having previously left in a blaze of glory after his Munich heroics. However, another two trophies later he was being chaired off the pitch by his team-mates to a deafening standing ovation after his last appearance, safe in the knowledge he will always be regarded as a legend at the Bridge.

FACTFILE DIDIER DROGBA Chelsea career: 2004-12 & 2014-15 Appearances: 381 Goals: 164 Other clubs: Le Mans (1998-2002), Guingamp (2002-03), Marseille (2003-04), Shanghai Shenhua (2012-13), Galatasaray (2013-14), Montreal Impact (2015-16), Phoenix Rising (2017-present) TEAM HONOURS Premier League: 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 FA Cup: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 League Cup: 2005, 2007, 2015 Community Shield: 2005, 2009 Champions League: 2012 Turkish Super Lig: 2013 Turkish Super Cup: 2013 Turkish Cup: 2014 INDIVIDUAL HONOURS Chelsea Player of the Year: 2010 Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year: 2007 PFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2010 Premier League Golden Boot: 2007, 2010 FIFPro World XI: 2007 African Footballer of the Year: 2006, 2009 Ivory Coast Player of the Year: 2006, 2007, 2012 Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2004 Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2004 Turkish Footballer of the Year: 2013 MLS All-Star: 2016

49

START TO FINISH

50

1

2

3

4

1

24.08.2004 Frank Lampard congratulates Drogba on his first goal for Chelsea, opening the scoring in a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on his third appearance for the club.

3

30.04.2005 Drogba is joined by Petr Cech, Lampard and William Gallas during the celebrations at the Reebok Stadium after a 2-0 win over Bolton made sure our striker’s first season with Chelsea ended with the club’s first top-flight title for 50 years.

2

4

27.02.2005 The Ivorian enjoys the moment with team-mate Paulo Ferreira after getting his hands on his first trophy in professional football, following an extra-time win over Liverpool in the League Cup decider, with Drogba scoring the first of many cup-final goals.

29.04.2006 Drogba soaks up the atmosphere with the Premier League trophy at Stamford Bridge as the celebrations for our second consecutive title get under way.

DIDIER DROGBA

5

7

5

6

7

8

10.06.2006 His hero status in his homeland is further enhanced by scoring Ivory Coast’s first-ever goal at a World Cup, finding the net in their opening game against Argentina in Hamburg, Germany.

19.05.2007 Drogba continues to build his reputation as the man for the big occasion by scoring the only goal of the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium, beating Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in extra time.

6

8

01.03.2007 The African Footballer of the Year trophy is handed to Drogba for the first time at a ceremony in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

Less than 48 hours later, he started our match at Portsmouth and opened the scoring in a 2-0 win.

30.04.2008 Drogba reels away to celebrate his opening goal in the second leg of our 2007/08 Champions League semi-final against Liverpool. He would find the net again for the extra-time winner to book our place in the final.

51

START TO FINISH

9 10

9 52

06.05.2010 Manager Carlo Ancelotti hands the Chelsea Player of the Year award to our No11 at Stamford Bridge as the 2009/10 season approached a glorious conclusion.

10

09.05.2010 Drogba and Florent Malouda get musical as they celebrate the Ivorian striker completing his hat-trick in the 8-0 win over Wigan on the last day of 2009/10, which sealed the Premier League trophy’s return to the Bridge.

DIDIER DROGBA

11 12

11

13.05.2010 Our star striker gets his hands on the Premier League Golden Boot award for the second time, with his 29 goals in the top flight seeing him edge out Wayne Rooney to finish as the competition’s top scorer.

12

18.04.2012 Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes watches helplessly as the ball hits the back of the net for Drogba’s crucial goal in the first leg of our Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge, meaning we travelled to Spain with a 1-0 lead.

53

START TO FINISH

13 14

13

54

19.05.2012 John Mikel Obi, David Luiz and Fernando Torres celebrate with Drogba after arguably his and Chelsea’s most important goal, the equaliser against Bayern Munich with two minutes of normal time remaining in the Champions League final. Our No11 would also score the decisive penalty in the shoot-out as we lifted the trophy for the first time.

14

18.03.2014 The returning hero acknowledges the adoration of the Stamford Bridge fans after representing Galatasaray against Chelsea in the Champions League group stage, two years after his triumphant departure from the club.

DIDIER DROGBA

15 16 17

15

26.10.2014 Having come back for another season with the Blues, Drogba shows he’s still got it as he celebrates the first goal of his second spell with the club, opening the scoring against Manchester United at Old Trafford as injuries to Diego Costa and Loic Remy handed him his first Premier League start of the campaign.

16

24.05.2015 All that’s missing is a throne as Drogba wears the Premier League crown while celebrating his fourth title with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

17

22.11.2016 Drogba is congratulated by the Montreal Impact fans after helping them to a 3-2 Canadian derby win over Toronto FC in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals.

START TO FINISH NEXT MONTH Every month we will be looking back at the career of a different Chelsea legend and you can help pick who is featured in our next issue. To see your hero star in a future Start to Finish, send an email to cfc.magazine@trinitymirror.com or write to us by post at Chelsea magazine, Third floor, Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, London, SW6 1HS telling us who you would like to see on these pages.

55

EUROPEAN RETROSPECTIVE

SKONTO RIGA

Chelsea return to European competition this season following a one-year absence. The Blues have enjoyed 25 continental campaigns in our 112-year history and each month we’ll be looking back at a different one, starting with our maiden voyage into the Champions League in 1999/00

SEASON:

1999/00 COMPETITION:

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT:

QUARTER-FINALS MOST APPEARANCES:

ED DE GOEY, MARCEL DESAILLY, TORE ANDRE FLO (16) TOP SCORER:

TORE ANDRE FLO (8) OPPONENTS:

SKONTO RIGA (LATVIA) AC MILAN (ITALY) HERTHA BERLIN (GERMANY) GALATASARAY (TURKEY) FEYENOORD (HOLLAND) LAZIO (ITALY) MARSEILLE (FRANCE) BARCELONA (SPAIN)

56

FEYENOORD

HERTHA BERLIN

AC MILAN

MARSEILLE BARCELONA

GALATASARAY LAZIO

hen I scored that goal, I thought it would be tough but we would make it,” said Tore Andre Flo. “I was thinking we wouldn’t make any more mistakes now. But they were so good.”

With seven minutes remaining at Camp Nou, Chelsea looked set to mark our first appearance in the Champions League with a place in the last four at the expense of a Barcelona side boasting an attacking triumvirate of Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Patrick Kluivert, which was up there with the best in the world at that time.

A look back at the Chelsea Yearbook which followed suggested few goals in the club’s history would have topped Flo’s effort had we managed to hold out for another seven minutes.

“When he scored what at the time was a tie-winning goal with half an hour remaining,” began an editorial piece in the 2000/01 edition of our annual publication, “he wasn’t the only one who thought Chelsea were about to complete a victory that would rank alongside any in the club’s history. But it was not to be, bringing to an end a European campaign which, while it lasted, had been simply brilliant.”

W

Celebrating Tore Andre Flo’s goal against Barcelona at Camp Nou

To some, that comment may seem as if it has been laced with hyperbole when you consider our regular trips to the deep end of the Champions League pool since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. But back then it was the big time like we’d never known it and Gianluca Vialli’s Blues side didn’t so much as dip their toe in the water as dive in head first.

As far as continental campaigns go, you’d be hard pressed to map out a more memorable route through Europe, with iconic venues awaiting us at virtually every turn once we’d negotiated the relatively straightforward hurdle of Skonto Riga in the third qualifying round, a test more akin to those which we had faced during our forays into the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Greeting us along the way were the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Galatasaray’s self-professed ‘Hell’, two of Italy’s most iconic stadiums, the cauldron of noise inside Marseille’s Stade Velodrome,

Feyenoord’s redeveloped De Kuip which was soon to host the final of Euro 2000 and, saving the best until last, the Camp Nou. Forget Guns N’ Roses rocking Europe this summer during their Not In Your Lifetime tour – this was the ultimate Euro trip for football aficionados.

The club actually first qualified for the European Cup 44 years earlier, only to pull out of the competition before its maiden season took place on the recommendation of the FA. That the Blues were competing at all in 1999 owed plenty to the expansion of the opening group stage to 32 teams and the relaxing of the qualification rules which granted

AS FAR AS CONTINENTAL CAMPAIGNS GO, YOU’D BE HARD PRESSED TO MAP OUT A MORE MEMORABLE ROUTE THROUGH EUROPE, WITH ICONIC VENUES AWAITING US AT VIRTUALLY EVERY TURN Dennis Wise takes a corner at AC Milan’s San Siro stadium

Marseille’s Stade Velodrome was one of several famous stadiums visited by the Blues during our first Champions League campaign

the Premier League three spots in the competition. This meant the third-placed team in England would enter at the final preliminary stage.

Some at Stamford Bridge would have allowed themselves a wry smile as we reached the group stage on the same day as our former manager, Ruud Gullit, took charge of his final game as Newcastle United boss with a disastrous derby defeat against Sunderland.

Eighteen months earlier he had been controversially dismissed as Blues boss and replaced with Vialli; the outpouring of support shown to the Dutchman, often represented in the form of criticism of the Blues, had long since dried up and Chelsea had now stepped up another level to take on the best of the best.

Considering the popularity of Serie A in the UK at that time, thanks largely to Channel Four’s brilliant Football Italia television coverage and accompanying magazine, there could scarcely have been a bigger start to the group stage than AC Milan, then five times winners of the competition.

“It’s a quality competition where you give your best because you want to show how good you are,” said Gianfranco Zola. “You are playing

57

EUROPEAN

RETROSPECTIVE

against the best players in Europe, and probably the world, so everybody would like to play in it.”

Stamford Bridge has always been a sight to behold on European nights, but this was something else – and the game lived up to expectations, despite finishing goalless. Chelsea stood toe to toe with one of the greats and matched them blow for blow. Had Zola’s toe poke found net instead of woodwork, an already remarkable evening would have an even bigger chapter in the club’s folklore.

On matchday two, however, defeat at Hertha Berlin brought everyone crashing down to earth. A shaky defensive performance handed victory to the unfancied Bundesliga side, who were solid but hardly spectacular.

Iranian international Ali Daei bagged both of their goals, while Frank Leboeuf netted a late consolation from the spot.

“That was maybe the worst match,” said Flo. “We knew we had to get ourselves together and play better than that – and we did. We learned a lot.”

A nervy 1-0 win against Galatasaray at the Bridge, earned through Dan Petrescu’s goal, owed plenty to the firsthalf dismissal of the Turkish side’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper, Taffarel, and the players knew a vast improvement was needed. Next up was the small matter of a visit to Istanbul and the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, otherwise known as Hell, a title bestowed upon the stadium by the club’s own supporters.

It was more like heaven for the Blues, though; a majestic display by Zola and two goals from Flo teed up a 5-0 victory which is up there among our very best performances in Europe, particularly when you consider the

atmosphere in which the match was played.

“Forget about the fans and everything that comes with them, and a game of football is just 11 versus 11,” explained Gus Poyet. “And when one of your 11 is Gianfranco Zola, you are very lucky! The fans recognised the quality of the player and when he was substituted the whole stadium was standing and clapping him off.”

As vocal as our travelling support is, only 200 or so officially made the trip to Istanbul, compared to the 5,000 that would head to Milan’s San Siro.

The devilish home supporters had been well and truly won over by the

IT’S A QUALITY COMPETITION WHERE YOU GIVE YOUR BEST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SHOW HOW GOOD YOU ARE GIANFRANCO ZOLA

GALATASARAY

Galatasaray’s fans creating a hostile atmosphere at our match in Istanbul

58

visiting Blues, although their admiration turned to disgust at the final whistle as the Galatasaray players were subjected to a torrent of missiles as they departed the scene.

If this was the best performance of the campaign, the most iconic moment was still to come when we travelled to Milan’s famous San Siro stadium. Two years earlier we had played a mid-season friendly at the home of Rossoneri, but this time it was for real.

Just as in west London, the Blues more than held their own, but it looked as though a European lesson would be doled out by the Italians when Oliver Bierhoff put them ahead late on. Then, four minutes later, came a moment which is still celebrated in song today; Di Matteo with the dreamiest of passes over the top for Dennis Wise to sneak in and drill a left-footed shot through the goalkeeper’s legs. “Oh Dennis Wise...” begins the famous chant which can still be heard on most matchdays.

Ahead of the final game at home to Hertha Berlin, qualification was in our own hands. Albert Ferrer and Didier Deschamps had both been signed by the club partly for their expertise at this level, having previously won the European Cup, not for their goalscoring prowess – but the duo were our unlikely heroes against the Bundesliga club as we sealed top spot in the group.

These big European nights were coming at a cost, domestically at least, as every continental high seemed to be followed by a slip-up at home.

It should be noted that the addition of a second group phase meant we had completed our first six matches by the third day of November, in contrast to the current format, which comes to a conclusion at least a month later.

The first two matches of the additional group were played before Christmas, with Feyenoord confidently dispatched at the Bridge courtesy of

The players are protected by riot police as they make their way onto the pitch at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium and, below left, the celebrations following Dennis Wise’s goal at Feyenoord

another Flo brace in a majestic attacking display and Lazio, then among Europe’s biggest spenders and on their way to winning only their second Serie A title, held to a goalless draw at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to a dogged defensive effort.

Qualification was ours for the taking, but in true Chelsea style of that era, we lost 1-0 in Marseille to a side in disarray, future Arsenal player Robert Pires scoring the only goal in fortuitous circumstances.

“His strike caught Ed off the hop, but it could have gone anywhere,” noted Dennis Wise.

“It skimmed one post, hit the other and went in. It’s a matter of inches.”

But qualification was back in our hands

when the skipper netted the only goal of the return match, leaving us with a chance to book our place in the quarterfinals when we travelled to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord again. We were the only team to have beaten the Dutch side in their 10 European games that season, and we repeated the trick with another fine attacking display. Three years earlier, Gullit had promised Wise he would be playing in the Champions League and holding his own if only he would curb his “Crazy Gang ways”, and here he was scoring yet another vital goal, with his head for the second game running, either side of fine efforts from Zola and Flo. However, defeat at home to Lazio, our first in 34 European matches at our west London home, in our final fixture of the second group stage left us second and with the prospect of facing a heavyweight group winner and the new favourites for the competition: Barcelona.

No one gave us even a puncher’s chance, but what followed was beyond our wildest dreams; eight minutes of

59

01369

HOME OF T HE CHAMPIONS

ANNUAL HOSPITALIT Y AT CHELSE A FOOTBALL CLUB CHELSEAFC.COM/HOSPITALITY

EUROPEAN

RETROSPECTIVE

BARCELONA

Jody Morris in action against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge

arguably the most devastating football ever seen at Stamford Bridge as Zola curled home a sumptuous free-kick and Flo scored two quick-fire, clinical goals to put us 3-0 up going into the half-time break. Chelsea 3 Barcelona 0!

Young Jody Morris was giving his opposite number, Xavi, a torrid time – indeed, the Barca man later considered our current Under-18s coach to be one of his toughest-ever opponents – and had Figo not scored a crucial away goal in the second half, a place in the last four was surely ours for the taking.

“We shocked everyone,” said Wise.

“What a result! But Figo’s goal killed us.

One lapse of concentration...”

As good as we had been at the Bridge, in front of 98,000 supporters at Camp Nou – 1,500 of them supporting the boys in Blue – we were wretched in the first half, conceding the two goals which put Barca in control of the tie once again.

Then came the moment Flo talked about at the start of this article, as he capitalised on a mistake by goalkeeper Ruud Hesp to score his eighth goal of an unforgettable campaign; we had 30 minutes to hang on for a spot in the semi-finals. Twenty-three of them ticked

JODY MORRIS WAS GIVING XAVI A TORRID TIME – INDEED, THE BARCA MAN LATER CONSIDERED OUR CURRENT U18S COACH TO BE ONE OF HIS TOUGHEST-EVER OPPONENTS ED DE GOEY by before Dani headed home a freekick to force extra time – but not before Rivaldo had missed a penalty and Roberto Di Matteo was denied a certain winner by a fine save from Hesp. The drama and tension was unbearable.

Welcome to the Champions League!

Our hopes were killed off early in the extra period when Celestine Babayaro conceded a penalty, which Rivaldo bravely stepped up to convert, and Kluivert scored again after the break to give the scoreline a rather lopsided appearance.

“Seven minutes,” lamented Wise, “is a long time in football.”

That we considered defeat to

Barcelona, with victory within touching distance, such a disappointment simply showed just how far the club had come in a short space of time. For some of the players, it would be the greatest journey of their football career.

“Now it is important that we get back into the competition as quickly as possible,” noted De Goey, who set club records for most appearances and clean sheets in a season, both of which have subsequently been surpassed.

Ultimately, for the majority of this Blues squad it was the last time they would dine at Europe’s top table, but it was an experience no one associated with the club at that time will ever forget.

61

VISIT THE HOME OF THE

01574

To book, plea se call 0371 811 1955, email tours@chelseafc.com or visit chelseafc.com/stadium-tours

ACADEMY FEATURE Words | Dominic Bliss

BACK ON THE PITCH

Former Blues youth player Joe Edwards has masterminded two FA Youth Cup triumphs during his rise up the coaching ladder. After a year mentoring our loan players, he is now in charge of Chelsea’s development squad, and he tells us why he is delighted to be working on the training field once again

T

his season the development squad began work under a new coach, with a familiar face.

Joe Edwards, who won the FA Youth Cup twice during his spell in charge of the Under-18s, spent last term working as a loan player development coach as he completed his UEFA Pro Coaching Licence, but this year he has returned to a hands-on coaching

role and takes charge of many of the same players he has seen rise through the ranks over the past decade or so.

Edwards grew up supporting Chelsea and cites our 1994 FA Cup final defeat as one of his “worst football memories”, so it was a dream come true for him when he was invited to the Academy here after being spotted playing for his Sunday team at the age of eight. He remained in the youth ranks

until the age of 16, when he was released, but 18 months later – after a brief spell playing non-league football while studying for a sports diploma – an opportunity arose to return to Chelsea in a different capacity.

He grasped it with both hands.

“I always kept in touch with Neil Bath [head of youth development] and eventually he invited me back and gave me the opportunity to help out with some

Joe Edwards is enjoying being back on the training pitch at Cobham chelseafc.com

@ChelseaFC 63

ACADEMY FEATURE Edwards celebrates his first FA Youth Cup success in 2015

development centres for Under-7s and Under-8s a couple of evenings a week,” Edwards recalls. “That was through the summer of 2004, during which time Neil was made Academy manager, and after that he invited me to come back and help out with a couple of the other age groups, including the Under-9s group that Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jordan Houghton played for at the time.”

Edwards has worked in the Chelsea Academy ever since, coaching ever-older age groups until he took on the youth team in 2014, and he went on to win the FA Youth Cup in both of his seasons in the role. It was the culmination of 10 years’ work.

“For any coach to be involved in the Youth Cup final and win it would be a nice achievement, but for me there were two very special things about it,” he explains.

“Obviously, Chelsea is very much my home, so to do it with the club you support, and the place you’ve grown up, adds to everything.

But to also see the enjoyment it gave the players – great kids I’ve seen grow up here chelseafc.com

@ChelseaFC

Writing down some observations on the touchline.

Photo by Mark Sandom

and still work with – made it more special.

“The first group I ever took sole charge of as a coach was the Under-8s advance group that had Ruben Sammut, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Dom Solanke in it. That was the first group that was really mine, which is fitting because I went on to coach them as Under-15s, 16s, 17s and 18s as well. We eventually won the FA Youth Cup together, so it was a 10year journey for some of us.”

Following those back-to-back Youth Cup successes, Edwards’ next step meant a slight change of pace and focus, as he moved to a role in the loans department, under Eddie Newton, last season.

“I was the point of contact for 13 players,” he says, “travelling around, not only to watch them in live games in the Football League or abroad, but also speaking to the boys about the new challenges they were facing, what they were finding difficult and what they had found useful from the work we had done in the Academy.

“I was also going in, watching them training, and speaking to their managers, and I felt that gave me a clearer idea of what goes on out in the real world and what our players need to be prepared for.

“I think that was really good preparation for me to then step into this role because, in theory, we want to be preparing players for our first team, but we know how difficult that is given the level of our first team.

Really, what we are doing is preparing them for the next step, which is going out on loan.”

In the past year, Edwards has completed his UEFA Pro Coaching Licence, while he also spent time with the England Under-18s, discovering more about the Three Lions set-up and noting the differences between the development programmes at club and national level. He also discovered he missed the day-to-day coaching out on the training pitch – and it is that which most excites him about his new role as development squad coach.

“Although the role with the loans department was really useful, it was also the least amount of time I had spent coaching on a football pitch in the last 10 years,” he tells us. “For all the good experiences I had last

“ FOR ALL THE GOOD EXPERIENCES I HAD LAST YEAR, I DID MISS THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OUT ON THE PITCH, TRYING TO IMPROVE PLAYERS AND DEVELOP A TEAM

”

year, I did miss the day-to-day work out on the pitch, trying to improve players and develop a team.

“When you are working hard on that all season, and then you get to see it come together in games like Youth Cup finals, it’s not just about saying, ‘We’ve won the Youth Cup’, it’s so much more than that.

“When you’ve known players for so long and you’ve known the level they’re trying to reach and you’ve been helping them work hard towards that, then you see how they handle these big games and big occasions. That’s the most satisfying part of being a coach.

“Now, coming back to coaching with the development squad, I feel better equipped. I feel, even more so than I did before, like I know what is required for these players at the next stage of their careers.”

Few people can say they understand the development process of a young footballer better than Edwards. From the age of eight he has seen the club’s youth set-up develop, and throughout his adult life he has been involved in the evolution of the Chelsea Academy. That 360-degree insight will surely prove invaluable in his new role.

Keeping a watchful eye as the development squad take on Fulham in pre-season. Photo by Mark Sandom

65

ACADEMY ROUND-UP

Date Opposition Res AUGUST Fri 11 Manchester City A Tue 15 Plymouth Argyle (EFLCT Group D South, 7pm) A Fri 18 Derby County H3 Fri 25 Everton H2 SEPTEMBER Sat 9 Sunderland (2pm) H1 12/13 UYL group stage, matchday 1 - Mon 18 Manchester United H2 Fri 22 Leicester City (1pm) A 26/27 UYL group stage, matchday 2 - OCTOBER Fri 13 Swansea City H2 17/18 UYL group stage, matchday 3 - Sun 22 West Ham United (12.05pm) H2 Wed 25 Yeovil Town (EFLCT Group D South, 7.45pm) A Fri 27 Arsenal A Tue 31 UYL group stage, matchday 4 - NOVEMBER Wed 1 UYL group stage, matchday 4 - Sat 18 Tottenham Hotspur A 21/22 UYL group stage, matchday 5 - Sat 25 Liverpool (2pm) H1 Tue 28 Exeter City (EFLCT Group D South, 7.45pm) A DECEMBER 5/6 UYL group stage, matchday 6 - Mon 11 Derby County A Mon 18 Manchester City H2 JANUARY Mon 8 Swansea City A Sun 14 Sunderland (12pm) A Mon 29 Everton A FEBRUARY Fri 2 Leicester City H2 Fri 16 Manchester United A MARCH Fri 2 Arsenal H2 Mon 12 West Ham United A APRIL Fri 13 Tottenham Hotspur H2 Sun 22 Liverpool (1pm) A All games kick off at 7.05pm unless stated.

H1 - Cobham Training Ground. H2 - Aldershot Town FC. H3 - Stamford Bridge. EFLCT - English Football League Checkatrade Trophy. UYL – UEFA Youth League.

GEARING UP FOR A NEW SEASON Our young players have followed up a training camp in Spain with several impressive results as they prepare for the campaign ahead

P

re-season for the older boys in the Academy began with a joint training camp for the development squad and Under-18s group in the southern Spanish sports resort La Manga in early July. After working and gaining fitness together in a new environment, the two teams then played friendlies against varied opposition to prepare for the 2017/18 campaign.

A mixed ‘Chelsea XI’, made up of development squad players and those preparing to go out on loan for the season ahead, began with a 1-1 draw away at League Two Crawley Town before registering a 5-1 win over Southend United at Cobham.

A 2-1 defeat at Aldershot Town, where the development squad will continue to play home fixtures next season, followed

before non-league Lewes were beaten 1-0.

Martell Taylor-Crossdale – top scorer in last season’s Under-18 Premier League – was on target in both games.

From Lewes’ Dripping Pan Stadium, Joe Edwards’ team then travelled to Germany, where they met Hertha Berlin at the Bundesliga club’s Academy. There, Chelsea’s prospects ran out 3-0 winners over their hosts, having welcomed Dujon Sterling, Reece James and Jacob Maddox back to the fold following their return from helping England to triumph at the Under-19 European Championship.

A Callum Hudson-Odoi brace and one from Harvey St Clair made sure of victory for the Blues as they began to hit their stride with the season’s start closing in.

Three days later, a group of development squad players and those going on loan were in Photo: Dan Davies

DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

PRE-SEASON RESULTS Date Opposition Res JULY Sat 15 Crawley Town A 1-1 Sat 15 Southend U23s H 5-1 Wed 19 Aldershot

A 1-2 Sat 22 Lewes

A 1-0 Wed 26 Hertha Berlin A 3-0 Sat 29 Bergerac

A 2-0 AUGUST Fri 4 Fulham

H 8-0

Marc Guehi

The Blues on the attack in our development squad match against Aldershot chelseafc.com

@ChelseaFC

the south of France to meet Bergerac Perigord in a friendly fixture that has now been played in each of the past three seasons. Once again, St Clair was on target in a 2-0 win.

The development squad finished their preseason preparations with a thumping friendly victory against local rivals Fulham at Cobham, running out 8-0 winners with six goals in the last half-hour, seven days before their opening Premier League 2 fixture away at Manchester City. St Clair managed a hat-trick, while Sterling, new arrival Ethan Ampadu, Miro Muheim, Isaac Christie-Davies and Maddox were also on target.

Meanwhile, Jody Morris’ Under-18s began their pre-season friendly fixtures with two games at Cobham – a 5-0 win over Southend’s youngsters and a 2-1 defeat to a Brentford ‘B’ side. They then travelled to Denmark to play FC Copenhagen, losing 3-0, before sending Portsmouth’s Under-18s to a 4-0 defeat on their return to Cobham.

Morris’ side then wrapped pre-season up with another home friendly against Colchester United, winning 3-1 as Brown, Taylor-Crossdale and Daishawn Redan all got themselves on the scoresheet a week before the Under-18 Premier League campaign got under way away to Aston Villa on August 12.

The Under-18s won 5-0 against Southend

UNDER-18s Date Opposition Res AUGUST Sat 12 Aston Villa A Sat 19 Reading (11.05am) H1 Sat 26 Norwich City A SEPTEMBER Sat 9 Arsenal (11.05am) H1 Sat 16 U18 Premier League Cup, game 1 - Sat 23 Swansea City A Sat 30 Fulham (11.05am) H1 OCTOBER Sat 14 Leicester City (12noon) A Sat 21 Southampton A NOVEMBER Sat 4 U18 Premier League Cup, game 2 - Sat 18 Brighton & Hove Albion (11.05am) H1 Sat 25 West Ham United (11.05am) H1 DECEMBER Sat 2 U18 Premier League Cup, game 3 - Sat 9 Tottenham Hotspur A JANUARY Sat 6 Reading A Sat 13 Aston Villa (12.05pm) H1 Sat 20 Norwich City (12.05pm) H1 Sat 27 U18 Premier League Cup, quarter-finals - FEBRUARY Sat 3 Arsenal A Sat 10 Swansea City (1.15pm) H1 Sat 17 U18 Premier League Cup, semi-finals - Sat 24 Fulham A MARCH Sat 3 Leicester City (12.05pm) H1 Sat 10 U18 Premier League Cup final - Sat 17 Brighton & Hove Albion A APRIL Sat 7 Southampton (11.05am) H1 Sat 14 West Ham United A Sat 21 Tottenham Hotspur (11.05am) H1 All games kick-off at 11am unless stated.

H1 - Cobham Training Ground. H2 - Aldershot Town FC. H3 – Stamford Bridge.

PRE-SEASON RESULTS Date Opposition Res JULY Wed 19 Southend

H 5-0 Sat 22 Brentford B

H 1-2 Wed 26 Copenhagen A 0-3 Sat 29 Portsmouth

H 4-0 AUGUST Sat 5 Colchester U23s H 3-1

Photo: Mark Sandom

Ethan Ampadu

YOUNG BLUES PREPARE TO DEFEND TITLE IN NEW LEAGUE FORMAT the overall winners of the competition.

Last season was the first time Chelsea’s youth team had ended a campaign as league champions since 1984, when they won the old South East Counties League, making it their first title success since the Under-18s league became a national competition. However, they have now won the southern section of the Under-18 Premier League in each of the past three seasons, not to mention the four consecutive FA Youth Cup successes achieved by the same age group.

Fixtures correct at time of going to press.

Chelsea’s youth team begin the 2017/18 season as defending champions after winning the Under-18 Premier League national title for the first time last season.

Jody Morris’ side will compete in a slightly altered format, however, after the second phase of the competition was removed.

This year, the 24 teams will compete in two regionalised leagues of 12 – the North and South groups – during which they will play each of their 11 opponents home and away. The two regional champions will then meet in a one-off national final to decide

67

LADIES ROUND-UP

BLUES ON THE EURO STAGE The confetti had scarcely finished falling on our successful WSL Spring Series campaign when nine Chelsea Ladies players turned their attention to the international stage for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017.

Summer in Emma Hayes’ camp was quieter than usual, with the first winter Women’s Super League set to begin in late September, nearly four months after we triumphed on the final day of the transitional competition against Birmingham City.

Some members of the squad enjoyed a deserved break following the whirlwind end to our title charge as we crowned a late ascent of the table with the third major trophy in the team’s history. Several players, meanwhile, moved straight to their national sides to prepare for the largest-ever showcase of women’s football in Europe.

For half of those, there was hardly any distance to travel, including goalkeeper Carly

Millie Bright brings the ball under control during England’s semi-final match against the Netherlands

Fran Kirby celebrates giving England the lead against Spain chelseafc.com

@ChelseaFC

LADIES Erin Cuthbert attempts to reach the ball first during Scotland’s match against Spain

Telford, who had just extended her shortterm Blues deal with a two-year contract, joining a motivated Lionesses squad at England HQ in St George’s Park.

Elsewhere, a trio of our recent signings, along with our No1 Hedvig Lindahl – who missed the decisive matches in the Spring Series through injury – returned to their native countries for training off the back of a winning welcome to the club.

The addition of Lindahl’s Sweden colleague Magdalena Eriksson on the eve of the Euros meant Chelsea representatives would comprise nine players from five of the 16 nations taking part in an expanded edition of the UEFA Women’s European Championship, which was hosted, and ultimately dominated, by the Netherlands.

This unique figure was only the first record set by Chelsea players who fulfilled key roles for their respective teams, chalking up 28 appearances, three goals, three assists, half a dozen combined clean sheets and two Player of the Match awards.

The tournament culminated in the hosts, who benefited from a strong performance by former Blues midfielder Jackie Groenen, overcoming Denmark in a memorable, joyful final, lifting their first trophy since Ruud Gullit and the gang in 1988.

When Maren Mjelde, fresh from playing every game of our domestic season, led out her Norway side into a sea of orange for the competition curtain-raiser in front

of a sell-out 21,732 crowd at the Stadion Galgenwaard, our January recruit became the first female Chelsea player to captain her country at a major tournament.

Unfortunately for our midfielder, Mjelde found herself confined to the centre of defence as injury and inexperience cost her side a surprise exit from Group A. Norway

“ CHELSEA REPRESENTATIVES WOULD COMPRISE NINE PLAYERS FROM FIVE OF THE 16 NATIONS TAKING PART

”

were the first of three teams featuring Chelsea players whom an awe-inspiring Netherlands line-up saw off on their way to claiming the trophy at their home championship.

In the otherwise quaint medieval city of Utrecht, the same stadium provided the setting for England’s 6-0 demolition job on Scotland. Blues duo Millie Bright and Fran Kirby established themselves as pivotal to Mark Sampson’s line-up, with the former the only player to start all five Lionesses fixtures in her maiden tournament and Kirby a key part of the attacking fulcrum behind Golden Boot winner Jodie Taylor.

Our Ayrshire youngster Erin Cuthbert picked herself up from that disappointing Euro debut on the night of her 19th birthday to shine for the Tartan Army.

During their 2-1 defeat to Portugal, she scored the first Scotland tournament goal at senior level since ex-Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley in 1998, and chipped in with an assist against Spain. Though the resulting victory was the surprise of the group stage, it was another case of what might have been for the Scots, who ended up one goal away from the quarter-finals.

Ramona Bachmann came equally close with Switzerland in Group C. The Blues playmaker almost single-handedly staged their comeback to beat Iceland before spearheading the attack in a 1-1 draw with pre-tournament favourites France.

Even these Player of the Match displays,

69

LADIES ROUND-UP Karen Carney on the attack against Portugal

however, left her side a point short of progression.

France, like many of the giants of the group stage, were frustrated but found a way through. Yet their last-eight opponents England preserved their 100 per cent record in a showdown with their closest rivals, having previously ripped apart the Spanish defence after Kirby netted the fastest-ever goal in the Euros, and defeated Portugal with Chelsea winger Karen Carney lining up against her former team-mate Ana Borges in a rotated team.

The Lionesses were on a collision course with the Netherlands, the only other nation with a perfect start to the tournament.

Holland had beaten Olympic silver medallists Sweden despite the best efforts of Lindahl and Eriksson, who survived challenging group fixtures against Germany and Russia without a blemish in defence.

Once again, England expected.

Sampson’s side had now reached back-toback semi-finals after their first victory over chelseafc.com

@ChelseaFC

France in 43 years. As the highest-ranked team left in the draw, glory appeared theirs for the taking. However, with four million viewers transfixed on their sofas back in Britain and a record attendance of nearly 30,000 at the FC Twente Stadion, total football deservedly prevailed over their direct tactics.

England will take some consolation from the fact that the only team to beat them at these championships proved the worthy champions. A Dutch outfit featuring ex-Blue Groenen ensured the trophy was going nowhere with a 4-2 win against Denmark in a watershed moment for the women’s game in the country.

The Lionesses, too, brought the game to a wider audience, generating record TV ratings for the sport and high hopes going into the new WSL season.

While our show-stopping Chelsea contingent couldn’t quite carry their countries all the way to the European title in the Netherlands, our group of match-winners demonstrated they might just have the combined talent to do it with their club as we prepare for our third consecutive Champions League campaign.

Ramona Bachmann on the ball for Switzerland against France

Words | Daniel Wittenburg

LADIES Q&A LADIES chelseafc.com

@ChelseaLFC

MAGDALENA ERIKSSON D.O.B. 08.09.93 BIRTHPLACE Stockholm POSITION Defender

Chelsea Ladies have reinforced their defence ahead of the new season with the addition of Sweden international Magdalena Eriksson. The 23-year-old, who previously captained Linköpings, arrives after reaching the last eight at her first European Championship. Here is what she had to say shortly after the competition

How are you feeling after your maiden Women’s Euros?

needed to know. It will be very nice to have her in the team.

Would you describe yourself as a set-piece specialist?

Although I’m very disappointed by how it ended, it was a great experience. I look forward to working with the new Sweden head coach Peter Gerhardsson to make sure we come back stronger.

I like the disciplined defensive game we have, but I think we’re starting to realise it’s not enough to take us deep into competitions. The Rio Olympics last year [when Sweden won silver] were the exception rather than the rule, so we will work on developing our strategy.

Do you have any preference for which position you fill?

I’m always happy to contribute in attack as well as defence. I’ve been in teams who are very strong in the air, so set-pieces were often part of our game plan. The Sweden goalkeeping coach was the mastermind behind lots of the combinations. My favourite is where I curl it in towards the goalkeeper because I know there’s maybe a chance we’ll score.

I just want to play. I don’t really mind whether it’s at left-back or at centre-back because my priority is to do whatever I can to get three points for the team. I’m used to playing in the middle with my club and moving to the left for Sweden, so the different positioning is nothing new to me. I also like to show off my corners and maybe make assists.

Interview | Daniel Wittenburg

Are you looking forward to finishing your move to London?

At the moment, it feels strange but exciting. You normally have a picture of coming back to familiar girls after a summer tournament, so I’m excited about being in a new team. I look forward to living in London, even though my new apartment is far too expensive!

What made you choose to leave your home country for Chelsea?

I was looking for a new challenge, which is important for me to continue my development after playing at Linköpings for the past four years. I was also really impressed with the professional facilities and environment at Cobham, which of course is the same as what the men’s team have. Their way of looking at football seemed to be a perfect fit for me.

Did your Sweden team-mate Hedvig Lindahl play any part?

I asked her a lot of questions about what things are like at Chelsea and she was really nice and told me everything I

In action against Italy at Euro 2017

71

1719

Any form of racist, discriminatory or abusive chanting is an arrestable offence and will not be tolerated.

If you hear it, report it.

The club will apply the strongest sanctions including substantial club bans and supporting the police in obtaining football banning orders.

During the Match: TEXT 07894 93 77 93

After the Match: CALL 0207 386 3355

With stand, row, seat number, description of the offender and incident.

EMAIL: buildingbridges@chelseafc.com

All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

YOU CAN REPORT USING THE KICK IT OUT APP

FOUNDATION NEWS FOUNDATION

Praise for girls after impressive tournament showing Chelsea were well represented at the Premier League Girls Football National Festival, with the Blues finishing as runners-up at St George’s Park.

The two-day event, run by the Premier League in partnership with the Football Association, was part of the FA Girls’ Football Week, and celebrated the work of the Premier League Girls Football programme throughout the year.

Teams representing 40 clubs took part in the first-ever National Festival, with a squad of seven from the Chelsea Foundation’s Premier League-funded girls’ projects representing the club in the first day’s 24-team tournament.

The girls produced a series of impressive displays, beating Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Arsenal on their way to the final, where they were narrowly edged out 1-0 by Newcastle.

Foundation girls development officer Robert Marsden said: “The team performed superbly and won four out of their five group games, on their way to topping the group and earning a place in the semi-final, where they beat Arsenal despite being a goal behind with only a minute to go.

“The final was an extremely close contest and one goal would unfortunately seal defeat for the team, despite their continued efforts until the final whistle. The whole team deserve a tremendous amount of praise, not only for their displays and effort on the pitch, but also their attitude and

The Chelsea team finished runners-up at the Premier League Girls Football National Festival

discipline off it. It was a fantastic experience for all and despite falling short of the winner’s trophy, the girls left with great memories and a sense of achievement and pride.”

The Premier League Girls Football programme started in September 2013 and is run in partnership with the FA. More

than 45,000 girls have engaged with the programme so far.

The festival itself saw 40 Premier League and Football League teams take part in two days of activity at St George’s Park – which tied in with England Women’s Euro 2017 campaign and was part of Girls’ Football Week.

Pupils given positive goals to break crime cycle Youngsters benefiting from the Chelsea Foundation’s Breaking the Cycle initiative enjoyed a day to remember as a special football tournament celebrated the project’s success.

Funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office and the Premier League Charitable Fund, Breaking the Cycle sees the Foundation work with eight schools in Essex, using football to help prevent children following in the footsteps of a parent who has been imprisoned, and working with youngsters who are deemed at risk of offending.

The end-of-year celebration at St Clere’s School in Stanford-le-Hope was a reward for more than 60 students from five secondary schools who have chelseafc.com

Paul Hannaford gives a talk to the youngsters at the event in Stanford-le-Hope

shown a positive change in their school lives. As well as football, there were workshops featuring guest speakers Mick Carter, an ex-army officer and Chelmsford Prison guard, and Paul Hannaford, an ex-gang member, drug addict and prisoner. Both delivered sessions offering real-life insight into the dangers of drug addiction, gun and knife crime, prison life, self-harm and bullying.

“Days like this are fantastic,” said Paul. “With these kids it is all about early intervention, making them realise early on they don’t need to start down the road that ultimately ends up in prison. The fact the Chelsea Foundation are working with these kids is great.”

@ChelseaFC 73

ONE OF US

BIRTHDAYS XI

MESSAGE BOARD

FRANK BUGLIONI

PULLING NO PUNCHES Following the successful defence of his British light-heavyweight crown, ‘Wise Guy’ boxer FRANK BUGLIONI reflects on his achievements in the ring, how being a Chelsea supporter is very much a family affair and why he is such a big admirer of Antonio Conte

74

QUIZ

FANZONE

Congratulations on successfully defending your British lightheavyweight title against Ricky Summers in July. It was a hardfought victory, wasn’t it?

I was very impressed with Ricky Summers. I thought he did really well, especially after the first four rounds I had – I thought he was going to go quite early. Obviously he didn’t have the experience I have and I think that showed as the fight went on. The hard fights I’ve been in had prepared me, more so than him. But I thought he hung in there really well, I’d give him maybe two rounds, and we shared one, but there were a few rounds that weren’t won by a wide margin. I took them, in terms of work rate and accuracy, but he put in a really competitive fight. It was great for the boxing fans and all the spectators at the O2.

He was unbeaten going into the fight and unbeaten fighters don’t want to give up their record, they don’t want to give up their ‘0’. So credit to Ricky and what a big fight to be part of!

What is it like to box at the top of the bill at the O2 on a night like that?

It’s phenomenal. I relished the opportunity, really. After winning against Hosea Burton, in a

brilliant contest which was quite far up the bill, I then was scheduled to fight on the Haye-Bellew undercard, which would have been fantastic, but I unfortunately suffered a cut in the build-up to that show. So I was biding my time for my next opportunity and, with Dillian Whyte pulling out, it set me up as the headline act. It was a great opportunity, one I took with both hands, and hopefully it pleased the fight fans.

Did it feel like a fresh start when you stepped up from super-middleweight to light-heavyweight in 2016?

I definitely see it as that. I feel back at my best now, like I’ve got my energy and certainly my confidence to train hard, work hard. There’s no struggle making the weight. Don’t get me wrong, making weight is always tough and it takes me a couple of weeks to come down to that weight, but that being said, I’m not weak once I get there. My record at light-heavyweight is four fights – including my debut, which was at light-heavyweight – with three wins by knockout and one win on points. As a light-heavyweight I’m undefeated and that’s the way I see myself continuing.

What’s next for you in the ring?

A young Frank Buglioni wearing his Chelsea shirt

therefore he’s got the opportunity to fight me. He comes into it undefeated, but obviously I’ll be taking his ‘0’, like I’ve done with all the other guys!

Well, I’ve got to fight my mandatory challenger for the British title, which is Callum Johnson. He’s another undefeated fighter – the fifth I will have faced – and he’s also the Commonwealth champion. So he’s deemed as the next-best fighter in Britain and

1 You originally come from northeast London, so how did you end up a Chelsea supporter?

Well, my uncle Gaetano has been a mad Chelsea supporter all his life, my brother Peter is fanatical about Chelsea and my mum and dad are both Chelsea supporters too. So my whole family has supported the club for a long time, and I remember growing up watching Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and seeing those guys, week in, week out.

This summer I was in Sardinia, at Forte Village [where Chelsea have a Soccer School]. I had a chat with Dennis Wise while I was there and I also put him and Tore Andre Flo through their paces with some boxing training.

They’ve offered to return the favour with football, but I’ve got two left feet, so I’m going to decline that one!

75

01736

ME TIME AT LON DON’S PREMIER HE ALTH CLUB

Chelsea FC Members or Season Ticket Holders can enjoy exclusive discounts on membership C H E L S E A H E A LT H C L U B . C O M

ONE OF US

FANZONE

I fell in love with the sport and it certainly helped my football, but I loved boxing so much I decided to put all my effort into it.

Did you get to many games before boxing started to take up more of your time?

2 You’ve just answered the next question, which was going to be about your own football ability!

I played when I was younger, but it never really came naturally to me, whereas boxing did. Although I like being part of a team and I’ve got a great team around me, I was more of an individual sportsman and I like to get up and do things on my own.

Some days I can push myself really hard and other days I take it a bit easier, and I can just go by my own body, rather than falling in line with a team. Some people fit better in a team environment, others are more individual. I was just more suited to individual sports.

We had season tickets – me, my dad and my brother – for a good few years. Then, as the boxing started taking off, I didn’t have the time to get there. I remember the Barcelona game a few years back, in 2005, when we beat them at home – that was probably my fondest memory of seeing Chelsea live.

As a man with Italian roots, are you happy to see Antonio Conte doing so well here?

There’s a lot of flair that comes out of Italy, especially when it comes to football, but his whole ethos has impressed me. He’s very calm before the games, but he’s extremely passionate on the side of the pitch.

It’s just nice to see. I think Conte’s passion is all for the team, and he’s great. Us fans can all see that and

appreciate what a good man he is for us.

Were you taken aback by how quickly he turned us back into champions after the previous season hadn’t gone well?

Not really, because I’ve had that myself. In sport, sometimes you can gel with a trainer and it can all just kick on. That’s what happened with me – I was back in my own environment, I joined Don Charles and I went from strength to strength with him, because we just fit. I think that’s exactly the same for Conte and Chelsea. He fits perfectly. We had the talent, we’ve certainly got the set-up, and then once the players are happy and relaxed, they can play at their best. The most important thing in sport is having a happy team and when the players are happy, the magic can happen.

1 Gianfranco Zola in action against Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final 2 John Terry scores in our 4-2 win over Barcelona in 2005 3 Antonio Conte addresses the team during Chelsea’s pre-season tour to Asia

Muhammad Ali took up boxing to protect himself after someone stole his bike. Having grown up as a Chelsea fan in Enfield, do you have a similar story?

It certainly helped! I was constantly fighting my battles, and my brother more so than me! I was playing football, but I wasn’t the biggest guy when I was younger, so I did boxing to give myself a bit of confidence and self-belief, and to improve my fitness and strength.

3

77

ONE OF US

BIRTHDAYS XI

MESSAGE BOARD

SEPTEMBER XI We play our own form of fantasy football with Chelsea players from throughout the club’s history – the only catch is that they must have been born in this month. We start with a side of September Blues which would take some beating

GK

SW

CB

CB

RW

CM

CM

AM

FW 78

FW

LW

QUIZ

PETER BONETTI Only Ron Harris has played more games for Chelsea than the Cat, who is perhaps the most iconic goalkeeper to represent the Blues. Bonetti made up for a lack of height with remarkable agility and razor-sharp reflexes – hence the nickname – and long held the club record for clean sheets before his tally was surpassed

by Petr Cech.

FANZONE

us mount our first serious title challenge in years. He went on to take the captain’s armband and remains one of our finest defenders.

PAT NEVIN From the Rock to Wee Pat, a diminutive winger who shone so brightly as Chelsea dazzled our way out of Division Two in 1983/84.

Nevin combined breathtaking dribbling skills with the audacity to take on players at will, bamboozling RUUD GULLIT many a full-back along the way as The signing of the dreadlocked Dutchman was a watershed moment he set up goal after goal for Kerry Dixon and David Speedie. in the history of Chelsea Football Club, announcing our intent to ditch MICHAEL BALLACK decades of mediocrity and reach The prospect of seeing Germany’s for the stars. While the limbs of this ruthlessly efficient goalscoring superstar footballer, who had once central midfielder alongside Frank been the world’s best, were now Lampard was tantalising for Chelsea creaking, he was still a cut above fans in the summer of 2006 and, anything we’d seen in west London for years, even as a sweeper. He later though Ballack didn’t hit the same heights as the earlier years of his went on to lead us to FA Cup glory career, he enjoyed a fruitful stay as player-manager. in west London. His best form came in the 2007/08 campaign as JOHN MORTIMORE we fell agonisingly short on three One of the unheralded heroes fronts, but he was a vital part of the of the Blues side of the Sixties, Double-winning side two years later.

Mortimore was a calming influence at the back but, more importantly, RAY WILKINS an experienced head among the The midfield maestro broke through diamonds Tommy Docherty was after the Kings of the King’s Road bringing through the youth set-up. era came grinding to a halt, with The youngsters took most of the manager Eddie McCreadie building credit for our resurgence under the his side around Butch. After Doc, but Mortimore was vitally becoming the club’s youngest-ever important and he was rewarded at skipper, he won the Player of the the end of his Chelsea career when Year award and followed up with he helped us lift the League Cup in that honour again as he led the club 1965. out of the Second Division. Only our financial problems denied us many MARCEL DESAILLY years of this magnificent footballer Has there ever been a better – or running the show at the Bridge. more suitable – nickname for a Chelsea defender than the Rock?

BERT MURRAY Signed from AC Milan shortly before Bobby Tambling, his team-mate he lifted the World Cup with France in this side, reckons Murray would on home soil, Desailly’s arrival and have been the perfect wing-back in subsequent partnership with fellow the modern game, with an ability to countryman Frank Leboeuf helped

pick out a cross and an engine that kept him running as freely in the last minute as the first. A back-to-back Youth Cup winner, he was a vital cog in the side dubbed Doc’s Diamonds and a regular on the scoresheet from out wide.

OSCAR Marrying tenacious pressing with exquisite technique, Oscar made light of his slight frame to become a Chelsea favourite during fourand-a-half years in west London.

He announced himself to Blues fans with an extravagant brace against Juventus on his Champions League debut, the second of which – a dipping, bending strike after an outrageous turn – earned him a Goal of the Season award he would win once more by the time his spell at the Bridge concluded.

EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN Iceland’s most famous footballer formed one half of a devastating strike pairing with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, with his calm and composed brand of forward play perfectly complementing his devastating partner. Gudjohnsen’s intelligence and deft touch allowed him to drop deeper under José Mourinho and he went on to play a huge role in back-to-back Premier League-winning squads.

BOBBY TAMBLING Only one man has scored more goals for Chelsea than this Sixties icon, who spent just shy of half a century as our leading marksman with 202 strikes to his name. What’s more, Tambling was a Blue through and through, having come up through the ranks to help replace the great Jimmy Greaves – although he referred to himself as “an old banger” to the Rolls-Royce that was Greaves. He also scored our first-ever FA Cup final goal in the defeat to Spurs in 1967.

79

ONE OF US

BIRTHDAYS XI

MESSAGE BOARD

VINCE HOLLAND

MARLEY SONES

I want to say a massive happy birthday to my dad, Vince. He is a huge Chelsea supporter and has been since he was nine years old! I hope you like the surprise Dad! With lots of love from Hannah and Chris.

This photo shows four-year-old Marley celebrating Chelsea’s 2016/17 Premier League title triumph. His mum Emma has supported the Blues since 1995 and his granddad Brian has followed the club since 1967, so no wonder Marley is a Chelsea fan too.

JACK NEIGHBOUR Jack is celebrating his 90th birthday this year and has been a huge Chelsea fan for more than 82 years! He remembers going to see his first-ever game with his uncle in 1934. Jack’s favourite player of all time is Jimmy Greaves and his current favourite is Gary Cahill. His best Blues moment came in 1955 when we were crowned Division One champions for the first time and Jack loves nothing more than wearing his famous Chelsea hat, often being heard to say, ‘Up the Blues!’

RICHARD GARNHAM Happy birthday to Richard, who turned 70 on 10 August. Known as Dick to his family and friends, he has been attending games at Stamford Bridge for more than 55 years, starting as a youngster in the Shed End, and has been a season ticket holder in the Matthew Harding Stand since it first opened. Now travelling all the way from Cornwall for games, the highlight of Richard’s time following the Blues is our 2012 Champions League victory in Munich and he is immensely proud of his collection of more than 100 Chelsea shirts from over the years.

GRAHAM LEIGH TORGIL JONSSON & ANKI BOESE Torgil and Anki finally tied the knot after some 30-odd years together on Friday 5 May 2017. The Swedish Blues supporters even topped off their wedding celebrations by attending our 3-0 Premier League victory over Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge three days later.

The day after it was announced that John Terry would be leaving Chelsea at the end of the 2016/17 season, bringing a close to our captain’s time at Stamford Bridge, Graham decided to pay tribute to his Blues hero. In honour of JT’s achievements with the club, he walked to the top of the Scafell mountains – the tallest in England – to get this photo with his shirt bearing Terry’s name and No26.

WANT TO APPEAR ON THE MESSAGE BOARD? 80

Send your details and a picture to: Message Board, Chelsea Football Club, Matchday Programme, Third Floor, Stamford Bridge, London, SW6 1HS

@

Or email them to: cfc.programme@trinitymirror.com

QUIZ

FANZONE

LEGEND TRIVIA

BOBBY TAMBLING In each issue we quiz you on a Blues legend

6

How many times was Tambling capped for England?? .................................................................

1

How many goals did Tambling score for Chelsea in setting a club-record tally which stood until 2013, when it was surpassed by Frank Lampard? .................................................................

2

Tambling broke the previous record in 1966, which was held by whom?

7

In how many of his 12 seasons as a Blue did he score 20 goals or more in the league? .................................................................

.................................................................

8

3

Bobby made his debut for the Blues against West Ham United in February 1959. Which other player made his first appearance in that game?

Bobby became the first Chelsea player to score in an FA Cup final when he netted at Wembley in 1967.

Who were our opponents? .................................................................

.................................................................

4

Of which legendary Chelsea striker, who he would replace as our premier marksman, did Tambling say: “He was the Rolls-Royce and I was an old banger!�

9

Prior to his retirement from the game, he appeared, and scored, in the European Cup while representing which club? .................................................................

.................................................................

5

Against which club did he net 12 times in just 13 appearances, including five in one game? .........................................................

Tambling left Chelsea after the 1970 FA Cup final to join which fellow London side? .................................................................

1. 202 2. Roy Bentley 3. Barry Bridges 4. Jimmy Greaves 5. Aston Villa 6. Three 7. Three (1961/62, 1962/63, 1966/67) 8. Tottenham Hotspur 9. Cork Celtic 10. Crystal Palace

10

81 15

ELSEA

H OF CH

BOROUG

OAD KING’S R UE BOUTIQ t fashion – Football’s finesd faux pas and the od

82

Summer, and more specifically the transfer window, is the time of year you see footballers looking more than a little uncomfortable after squeezing the shirt of their new team over the rest of their clothes for the obligatory photo opportunity. In 1995 it was the turn of the usually snappily dressed Ruud Gullit, following his move from Sampdoria to Chelsea, not looking too happy about creasing his designer shirt and tie by putting on a Blues jersey, not to mention the less than subtle product placement of the ball and scarf from the club shop. At least Ruud can point out he was told to do it – what’s Glenn Hoddle’s excuse for that salmon polo shirt?!

01704

Official club Partners

Principal Partners

Official Partners