Chelsea: World Cup and manager next season should destroy cliques
By Travis Tyler
Chelsea have an issue with cliques at the club. If they are not dealt with, they will continue to cause issues, especially after the World Cup.
In a large, multilingual and multicultural club, it is understandable that players gravitate towards those that speak the same language or grew up in the same way. This groups help to integrate players into the club but in recent years they have caused more and more trouble.
Take the Portuguese speaking contingent for example. Back when Diego Costa threw his fit and wanted out of the club, he started to lay the groundwork to turn that faction against Antonio Conte. The infamous text (which merely confirmed what everyone knew) was passed around by Costa and his clique to criticize Conte.
Months later, David Luiz had a falling out with Conte. Kenedy too perhaps. And most disappointedly, Willian.
That group cannot be blamed for Conte’s eventual sacking. But it can be blamed for seeding discord in the changing room and putting themselves above the club. That could have destabilized things enough to make the difference.
And if just one clique can turn and cause problems, then what could happen if more did so? Chelsea have about four separate groups currently: The Portuguese speakers, the Spanish speakers, the French speakers, and the English speakers. Each group is unique and has different leadership but can turn the tide of an entire season.
And the World Cup is only going to set these groups against each other more. What if England and Belgium have a massive, hotly contested game? Would Gary Cahill or Eden Hazard tell their faction to ostracize the other? What about Brazil against France?
These players should be professionals but recent events on social media has put that into serious doubt. And if they act this way against someone who is trying to do best by them, then how will they act after a World Cup when a teammate eliminates them from the competition?
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Whoever is manager next season needs to destroy the clique system by any means necessary. It can be helpful for new players in the squad who do not speak English but after that it becomes a burden the club must work around.
Make the players sit in the locker room numerically. No more clique versus clique friendlies in practice. Have team dinners where everyone is mixed in together. Make them interact with one another as much as possible so they do not fall back into the shell in which they are comfortable.
Because the club should be one, unified club. Not four separate groups that wear the same color. Many of the players have forgotten that in recent seasons. The players that have will need to be sold, lest they try to revolt against yet another manager. The players that remember will be kept around to help the Blues success going into the next era of the club.
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It will be a big ask of the next manager to break so much tradition. But it must be done. It is the only way the next manager can ensure their safety from player revolts.