Chelsea goalkeeper and Technical and Performance Adviser Petr Cech will make his return to competitive football in a PL2 match against Spurs.
Chelsea fans have longed for the return of Eden Hazard as his struggles with injuries at Real Madrid continue. The world class winger is a beloved figure around Stamford Bridge and adding him to this up and coming Blues side is the stuff dreams are made of. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen any time soon. However, Chelsea supporters could get their wish in the form of another legendary player within the coming months.
Petr Cech stunned the football world when he was named to the Blues’ Premier League squad for the upcoming season. Frank Lampard justified the inclusion—and verified it wasn’t a typo—stating that he is an emergency choice given the state of the world at the moment. Many teams have been forced into forfeits or decided to play with depleted squads due to COVID-19, Lampard wasn’t going to let it get to that point. While Cech’s future still remains uncertain, he will make his return to competitive football for Chelsea’s developmental team against Tottenham.
Cech will start in goal during the Premier League 2 game and it’ll mark the first match he’s played in since his retirement in 2019. The 38-year-old hung up his gloves following the 2019 season, which marked the end of his four-year spell at Arsenal. He was beaten by his current club (former, at the time) in his final game, the 2019 Europa League final in Baku. The Blues put four past Cech on the day and soon after, his post-football life began.
Since his retirement, Cech has certainly been enjoying time off. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing hockey, joining a fourth tier English side and even winning a game by saving a penalty—are we the least bit surprised? Cech’s also in the middle of his second season as Chelsea’s Technical and Performance Adviser. He’s been at the center of some important first team decisions, most notably the purchase of Edouard Mendy from Rennes.
Cech used his time off from football to recover and take a break. The year he spent away from the game helped him relax and stay fully healthy. The Czech shot-stopper feels as good as he’s felt in 20 years due to the combination of time off and the fact he’s spent the last two months training around the first team. Cech’s officially known as the Blues’ emergency keeper, but he remains just one Premier League appearance away from becoming 25th all-time, which is good enough to see many fans keep the faith that he’ll take the field with the first team again. He’s currently fifth on the goalkeeping depth chart behind Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Willy Caballero and Karlo Ziger.
Cech’s start against Spurs in the developmental side is likely nothing but an assessment to see just how fit and in form the legend is, but it’s still something to celebrate. He’s one of the most beloved players in the 21st century amongst Chelsea fans and it’s always nice to see him donning the royal blue badge. Whether or not we’ll see him later on—or on a bigger stage—is yet to be seen, but we can all dream, right?
You can find more information on the match and learn how to watch Cech’s return here.