The regulars at Stamford Bridge were no longer used to this. No, a knockout round of the Champions League does not go back so far, the Blues had stopped at this stage of the competition two years ago (eliminated by AS Rome, future semi-finalist). Rather, the club's followers end up with a team with radically different faces. Exit the players recruited with millions since the club was bought by Roman Abramovitch in 2003, say hello to the "Baby Blues".
From Fikayo Tomori to Tammy Abraham via Mason Mount, the young Chelsea guard extends from one part of the field to the other. And it works ! Although just barely, the Blues qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League at the price of a success against Lille (2-1) on the last day. Enough to afford an eighth final against the great Bayern Munich of Neuer and Lewandowski. What especially harden at the highest level.
Baptism at the highest level
Chelsea is about to return to its glorious past. In 2012, the Blues gleaned their first Champions League in Munich against Bayern, the apotheosis of a club in flamboyant renewal since 2003. No player trained at the club was present at kickoff. This shows the extent of the novelty, of the task that awaits the young inches of Chelsea. Since this year, the football landscape has changed significantly in South West London. A change precipitated by the sanction imposed by FIFA on the club in February 2019 (due to a violation of the regulations on transfers of minor players), prohibiting it from recruiting during the summer (2019) and winter mercatos (2020, a sanction finally lifted by the CAS). Chelsea had to contend with players from the center, most of whom have gone abroad for training, a model which is customary for Chelsea (28 players loaned this season). This is how Tomori and Mount (Derby County, under the orders of Lampard) and Abraham (Aston Villa) played the leading roles in the Championship (2nd division) last season before returning to the fold and being in the spotlight of the elite. After the discovery of the Premier League (Chelsea is firmly established in the "Top 4"), the Champions League and therefore a qualification of accuracy, it takes more to impress the young Londoners.
Shaped by Frank Lampard
Novice also at the highest level, Frank Lampard had to deal with his strengths to avoid his team a dive anticipated by his critics after the loss of Eden Hazard. The legend of the club decides to trust young people, invested by its fiber trainer. Well he took it, evidenced by this brilliant victory on the field of Wolverhampton (5-2 September 14) where, as a symbol, the three players mentioned above are those who bend the rear guard of the Wolves. Author of a hat-trick that day, Tammy Abraham (22) has 13 goals this season in the league and 2 in the Champions League. By their side, Ruben Loftus-Cheek (24) or Reece James (20) also pulled out of the game to form a clever mix with more experienced players in the modular 4-3-3 of Frank Lampard. Against Bayern, the English coach will always be without N'Golo Kanté and Christian Pulisic. On the surface, there is no reason to worry. His "Baby Blues" are ready.
The Hudson-Odoi symbol
There remains the particular case of Callum Hudson-Odoi (19 years old). Considered one of the greatest talents of the training center, the versatile offensive environment has, unlike his accomplices, never been loaned elsewhere. Conversely, the English international has been the subject of serious lusts from abroad. An offer of more than 40 million euros even came to the table of London decision-makers, coming from ... Bayern Munich. Returning twice to the load, in winter as in summer, the Bavarians finally found themselves rejected by Chelsea and Hudson-Odoi, convinced to stay after the arrival of Frank Lampard on the bench. "He can become a great player for Chelsea," said the former midfielder, who knows what he is talking about.
For this, Hudson-Odoi, like its young partners - all already international English -, has a great opportunity to demonstrate that high-level learning, in the end, is ancient history. And in Chelsea, we rarely dwell on the past.
Read also
- Thanks to the phoenix Olivier Giroud, Chelsea knocks out Tottenham
- Champions League fixtures and results
