Chelsea FC fans have quite the reputation around the Premier League. Some unimaginative Twitter trolls and critics call them “plastics” as they criticize them of just hopping on the Chelsea bandwagon due to their recent success. Others call them tourists and Jose Mourinho’s recent comments about the atmosphere did little to dispel either misconception.
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What few others point out, save for Chelsea fans themselves, is the class that they have shown to former players in recent years. Think back to the times Cesc Fabregas faced Arsenal, when Sol Campbell made the move from Spurs to Arsenal, or this weekend when Mathieu Valbuena was abused by Marseille fans as he returned to face them with his new club Lyon. The players were booed, whistled and jeered at, and in Valbuena’s case they hung an effigy of him with a noose around its neck.
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Even players that do not leave their clubs are not safe from abuse. Steven Gerrard famously pondered a move to Chelsea in the mid-2000s but after receiving death threats and watching Liverpool fans burn his shirt he decided to back out of the move and “rediscover” his love for his boyhood club.
Now think about how Chelsea FC fans have treated their former legends after they departed for rival clubs. Last season Frank Lampard did the unthinkable and signed with Manchester City. He even had the audacity to score against Chelsea and earn City a point when the title race was still very much in contention.
Did Chelsea fans boo and jeer him? No they applauded him after the match and serenaded the man they will always know as Super Frank. The goal ended up being inconsequential to the title race but it was like a knife to the gut when it went in. Still, Chelsea fans respected their legendary midfielder.
If Lampard did the unthinkable then this summer Petr Cech did the seemingly unforgivable. After a decade at Chelsea the keeper signed with crosstown rivals Arsenal. He made his first return to Stamford Bridge this weekend and what did Chelsea fans do? They applauded him and gave him an ovation when he first stepped on to the field. Cech was appreciative of the treatment and thanked the fans at Stamford Bridge for the reception.
Disappointed with the result ... Overwhelmed with the reception ! Thank you @Arsenal fans and @ChelseaFC fans
— Petr Cech (@PetrCech) September 19, 2015
Many other fanbases have shown that they will never forgive players for leaving or even considering leaving to rival clubs but not Chelsea fans. They simply thank the players for the job well done and the years of service and they move on. They realize that no player is bigger than the club, even legends like Petr Cech and Frank Lampard.
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