John Terry Close To Agreeing On New Chelsea FC Contract
Mandatory Credit: Paul Frederiksen-USA TODAY Sports
Amid reports of tension between Chelsea FC and captain John Terry over a new contract, assistant coach Steve Holland spoke on the subject in today’s press conference. Holland expressed confidence that the parties would come to an agreement in the next few weeks. Reports from several media outlets suggest that the Blues have offered John Terry a one year deal but at half his current wages. These same reports suggested that Terry could walk away from Chelsea because they are not meeting his wage demands and could end up playing in the Turkish Liga at Galatasaray.
John Terry leaving Chelsea over wages does not seem very Terry-like as he is Chelsea blue through and through. The club is looking to reduce its wage bill to comply with Financial Fair Play and who better to help them than the man that has been at the club since he was a boy? Terry owes his success to the club and the club owes much to its captain, leader, legend. Chelsea stood by him in the darkest moments of his career and he has responded with a vintage season where he has lead the best defense in the Premier League.
Steve Holland on John Terry and Chelsea’s other veterans:
"“John has had an outstanding season; we have the best defensive record in the Premier League and he’s played in almost all of that and been a major part of it all. I know that John wants to stay at Chelsea, and Chelsea want John to stay, so hopefully that situation can be concluded amicably over the next few weeks. It’s the same situation [with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole], we’re dealing with not just normal players, but magnificent servants for this club over a long period. So full respect will be given for those players.”"
The most important of Holland’s comments is the acknowledgement that players like Terry, Lampard, and Ashley Cole are not your ordinary veterans. They have been the backbone of Chelsea’s squad and locker room for over a decade and deserve respect despite the club’s policy of only giving one year deals to players over 30. Their situations must be handled delicately to preserve the dignity of both club and players and if the players choose to move on, it should not be over wages. With any luck, this situation with John Terry will be handled quickly and will not serve as a distraction as Chelsea chase Premier League and Champions League titles.
Follow us on Twitter at @PrideOLondon
Like us on Facebook at The Pride of London