yesterday 10:20 am
|
Chelsea after the era of Roman Abramovich is a perfect example that money alone does not guarantee success.
Since last May, the club has been owned by a consortium led by American businessman Ted Boehly. During the two transfer periods, 17 players came to Stamford Bridge for a total of 629 million euros. Astronomical investments, however, did not bring the desired effect.
Seven rounds before the end of the league, Chelsea is in 11th place with no real chance of qualifying for the European Cups. In this year’s edition of the Champions League, they lost in the quarterfinals to Real Madrid (0:4 overall).
Read also
VIDEO: The miracle at Stamford Bridge did not happen. Real also won in the return leg and comfortably…
A hallucinogenic dream about how to make football
In Boehly’s era, two helmsmen have already ended up at the club – Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. Chelsea are currently looking for a long-term manager, with Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique being the favourites. The team is led by Frank Lampard until the end of the season. The temporary solution has not brought an impulse so far. Chelsea have lost all four games since the club legend returned to the bench.
The problems of the English giant are structural and will not be solved by just changing the coach. Barney Ronay z The Guardian described Tuesday’s return with Real Madrid as follows: “This was less a game of men against boys than a game of a highly capable team against a hallucinogenic dream of how football should be played brought to the club by a group of enthusiastic management consultants.
Something grotesque has been created here. It’s reminiscent of what people want to do to this sport, the distorting effects of money without feeling, care or love for the game.”
Decisions under Abramovich were intelligent
In the Champions League studio on Canal+, another Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba, evaluated the meeting: “During the Abramovich era, the club had a certain level, today it is missing. It is very difficult for me to understand how they got rid of some people.
I don’t recognize my Chelsea. It’s not the same club anymore. There is a new owner and a new vision. However, in my opinion, they should return to the principles and values that they professed. Of course, we can compare it to the Abramovich era, when many players were also coming. However, the decisions were very intelligent.
Players such as Petr Čech, Andrij Ševčenko, Hernán Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda came. They were coming to win titles. They were players with some experience. Now the strategy is different, we are betting on young people. However, a cabin with more than 30 players is difficult to manage.”
Read also
Real Madrid players suffered, Ancelotti admitted. Lampard prefers his charges…
The former elite striker from Ivory Coast lacks something else: “Leaders with charisma. You need players to take the reins of the match and take responsibility. And a player who will bring a bit of madness to the stadium.”
Many big decisions. It’s time to get it right
Ted Boehly’s first season at the helm of the big London club can be assessed as a fiasco. Chelsea is seemingly at the bottom. Can she bounce off him?
“The season is basically over. She was gloomy. Chelsea’s owners, who have simply not managed it at all, must now use the time wisely to create a clear structure and find a new coach.
We can only assume that Boehly et al. learned from these harsh and very expensive lessons. They have made many big decisions, but now they have to start making some right ones. They need to get rid of the chaotic transfer policy where they signed players for exorbitant sums.
There is no doubt about the ambitions of the owners. How could it, with so many expenses? But so far all that has produced is a disjointed, fractured team with no apparent identity, who have gotten exactly what they deserved this season – nothing,” writes Phil McNulty, Football Editor-in-Chief BBC.
VIDEO: See how the Real Madrid-Chelsea opening quarter-final was watched:
