Chelsea’s rivals often cite as an advantage Chelsea not being involved in the Champions League or Europa League. Thibaut Courtois takes exception to that notion, pointing to the 2014/15 title as a counter-example.
As the Champions League and Europa League are gearing up to return, Chelsea’s opponents in the top six will start pointing out how easy the Blues’ schedule is without European football. Throughout the season, opposing managers and pundits talk about Antonio Conte’s advantage in rest and training time due to not competing in Europe.
Chelsea’s Premier League play has almost certainly benefited from the lighter schedule. However, Thibaut Courtois thinks that such assessments are overblown. He believes Chelsea would be better off this season with the extra tournament.
"[I]f you’re in the rhythm of playing a game every three or four days, sometimes you can play better, even though it’s harder at the end of the season. We have a lot of people on the bench who want to play and maybe haven’t had as many minutes as they deserve, and if we had European football they would have played more minutes. – Chelsea FC"
Courtois noted that Chelsea were in the Champions League in 2014/15 when they won the Premier League title. Pointing that out, he said “I don’t think it makes a big difference.”
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Squad rotation will become a bigger factor next season when Chelsea have the full slate of competitions. Antonio Conte will need to expand his pool of regulars to meet all the demands. Many of those players will be stepping into expanded roles without having had many opportunities to play this year, as Courtois observed.
On the other hand, that is one more reason why Antonio Conte’s purposeful use of the loan army this season is so crucial. With several loanees returning and likely ascending to the first team this summer, Chelsea’s “new” Blues will bring with them valuable experience they would not have earned at Stamford Bridge.
Thibaut Courtois may have been specifically thinking of his fellow goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic. Begovic has arguably suffered more than anybody as a result of Chelsea’s reduced fixture list. Although he likely would not have started in the Champions League, the extra workload on Courtois may have opened a few more Premier League starts for the backup.
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Like Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois appears to have his dissatisfaction with Chelsea well behind him. With the Champions League all but assured for next year and given his current run of form, Courtois will be back where he desires playing in Europe – in Blue – soon enough.