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Champions League Realisation Leaves Bitter Taste For Chelsea FC Fans

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: A dejected Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea applauds the home fans foloowing thjeir team's 2-1 defeat and exit from the competition during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, second leg match between Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain at Stamford Bridge on March 9, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: A dejected Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea applauds the home fans foloowing thjeir team's 2-1 defeat and exit from the competition during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, second leg match between Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain at Stamford Bridge on March 9, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea FC crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday evening after a loss against PSG. Concerningly, the timetable for a return is uncertain.

Hopes for a repeat of the miraculous 2012 Champions League campaign were killed last night. Paris Saint-Germain came to Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 lead and they professionally and clinically finished the job. Adrien Rabiot gave the visitors the lead, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic killed the game in the second half when he put them 2-1 up, the score at which the game ended.

The Blues were simply outplayed by PSG and the better team progressed. This result places even more emphasis on Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Everton, as a loss at Goodison Park will leave the club with nothing to play for throughout the rest of the campaign.

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However, while Chelsea fans were undoubtedly disappointed by the elimination, it is a particular realisation that leaves the most bitter of tastes. With the Blues tenth in the Premier League, it is almost guaranteed that there will be no Champions League football at Stamford Bridge next season. More concerningly, many fear that it may be a few seasons until the recognisable European anthem is once again played out in West London.

Chelsea have been in disarray in this campaign. The club’s disastrous start led to Roman Abramovich relieving Jose Mourinho of his duties for a second time. Since his dismissal, Eden Hazard has stated that he texted his former boss to apologise for the situation while Branislav Ivanovic claimed that the owner would have sacked the whole squad if that had been feasible.

Guus Hiddink was drafted in to rescue the Blues and he has done a stellar job. Chelsea have been undefeated in the Premier League since the managerial switch while the only two losses overall have been in this Champions League tie.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 09: A general view of the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge on March 9, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Dulat – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images).
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 09: A general view of the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge on March 9, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Dulat – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images). /

While the change in results has done a lot to bring optimism back to Stamford Bridge, Wednesday’s game reminded everyone that the club are still very much on a downward spiral.

Upon examining Chelsea’s performances on a game-by-game basis, it is evident that they have in no way been spectacular. The results, indeed, have been decent, but the Blues have been the beneficiaries of a few decisions while they have squeezed out a couple of tight victories.

Of course, these are all key ingredients to good form, but these factors do not lend themselves towards claiming that the club are on the up.

Given how poorly the first half of the season went, the fact that fans can now turn up at Stamford Bridge without a justified fear of losing has provided a smokescreen behind which the fundamental frailties have been hidden.

Chelsea are in dire need of a rebuild this summer. The current crop of talent have proven that they are simply not up to the task. Some may point to the recent results as an argument against this, but if you consider that these players, seemingly putting in their utmost effort, are still struggling to compete with quality teams, the deficiencies are evident.

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With the current state of the Premier League, returning to the summit will not be an easy task. Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are testament to the ever-increasing competitiveness of English football and while the former may be a flash in the pan, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are certainly here to stay.

Furthermore, with the likes of West Ham United and Stoke City being able to attract talent such as Dimitri Payet and Giannelli Imbula, reaching the top four now appears as mammoth a challenge as any.

The Blues are in the process of recruiting a permanent boss, with Antonio Conte reportedly the chosen man. He will have his grand plans to turn this club around but it will not be straightforward. Manchester United, for example, continue to struggle despite their ridiculous spending power. Their neighbours, meanwhile, are also finding it tough.

Simply put, there is no reason to believe that Chelsea will qualify for the Champions League next season.

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It is this realisation that has frightened Blues fans. Optimism is often a virtue, but in this case it may well be blind. With the West Londoners set to redevelop their stadium, Wednesday 9th March could have seen the last Champions League fixture be played at the old Stamford Bridge.

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