Chelsea FC: Andre Schurrle Will Receive a Premier League Medal
By David Rouben
Jose Mourinho is a classy man who doesn’t forget anyone’s contribution to a title-winning team, no matter how small it may have been. Despite being sold in the winter transfer window, Mourinho has decided to reward ex-Blue Andre Schurrle a Premier League medal for his playing time.
The BBC (h/t Bleacher Report) reached out to Schurrle, and he described the exchange with the Special One:
"I didn’t know that I’d get a medal when I didn’t play most of the second half of the season.Jose Mourinho sent me a text to say that I’d get a medal and he asked me to come to the last game. That was very nice for me.I’m really happy for the boys. They played a very good second half of the season so of course, for me, it’s good to get a medal but the boys did the work. …I love Chelsea still, I’m not frustrated, it was a great experience."
During the first half of the season was when Chelsea FC were blowing teams away with explosive attacking play as they started off the season on a 14-game unbeaten run. Schurrle was responsible for one of the most memorable moments of the start of the season, which was this amazing team goal against Burnley:
Despite his footballing ability, Schurrle was never able to nail down a first-team spot on the roster. That being said, he still provided competition as well as a decent cover for Willian. However, Schurrle proved in the World Cup that he was okay with simply coming off the bench, as he provided lots of memorable moments for the Germans, including scoring in extra time against Algeria, adding 2 beautiful goals against Brazil, and assisting on Gotze’s Cup-winning goal.
While he was sold for a hefty price tag of £22 million despite his role as a super sub, Mourinho used pretty much all of that money to buy Cuadrado, who hasn’t been able to provide any competition for Willian and is lucky to receive more than three minutes of playing time. Perhaps the Colombian will receive more playing time next season and the move will look to be worth it, but getting rid of Schurrle’s skillset may come back to haunt the club.
Andre may not have played in the second half of the season but he did manage to score some important goals for Chelsea in the few months he was there. He scored the winning goal against Burnley in the first match of the season and also scored the go ahead goal against Manchester City in September. He also scored the winner against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League group stages.
He will be most remembered for his goal against PSG in the Champions League last season as well as his hard work and direct style of play. Many Chelsea fans were sad to see him go so a return on the day the Blues lift the Premier League trophy would be an excellent way to say goodbye.
Next: Chelsea FC's 2014/2015 Season In Perspective: The Negatives