Chelsea won the Champions League the only way it knows how
Chelsea Football Club sits on the throne of European football once again. The Blues are Champions of Europe for the second time—first since 2012—after a nerve-racking 1-0 defeat of Manchester City. Kai Havertz rounded Ederson and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the keeper’s net moments before halftime to give the underdogs the advantage. This is one lead they would not blow, instead electing to wear their hearts on their sleeve and put on a defensive clinic to win the tournament.
That being said, nothing was easy. Each and every player left it all on the pitch on Saturday night. The Blues earned their victory the hard way and while it may not have always been pretty, it got the job done. Chelsea is the European Champion for a second time in 10 years and the best part is, the Blues did it their way. Chelsea’s decision making has been questioned time and time again, but nobody can doubt it anymore.
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Chelsea won the Champions League by playing its own unique style
Just five months ago, the west Londoners looked to be descending into panic mode as the worst case scenario stared them right in the face. They sat ninth in the table after a disappointing month of results, they were already bounced from the League Cup and they had just drawn the eventual La Liga Champions, Atletico Madrid, in the Champions League Round of 16. Frank Lampard was subsequently sacked—only adding to the chaos—and the fanbase turned on the club immediately.
Enter Thomas Tuchel.
The German joined Chelsea less than 24 hours before an important league tie against Wolves with one objective: win. His side went on to draw the game 0-0, an unpleasant result in the eyes of spectators, but a precedent was established. Anybody now had a chance to get into the Blues’ team, regardless of age or previous standing at the club. Players like Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Jorginho became regulars in the starting XI once again. Things began to look up.
Chelsea went on an unbeaten run under Tuchel that broke club records. As the Blues continued to climb up the Premier League table, they also made deep runs into the FA Cup and Champions League. The nightmares crept in once again though when Chelsea was defeated in successive matches, once at home to Arsenal in the Premier League and the other in the FA Cup final. The Blues had lost back-to-back FA Cup finals and found themselves on the brink of missing top four, completely undoing everything they’d worked to build in the months prior. Tottenham Hotspur defeated Leicester City on the final day of the domestic season to secure 2021/22 UCL football for Chelsea, but none of that matters anymore. The Blues are Champions of Europe.
This COVID-rushed campaign has been a long, windy road for everyone involved with the club. It’s been a figurative rollercoaster for players, coaches and fans alike, but that’s how Chelsea likes it. Chelsea is the team that everybody loves to hate, it is consistently counted out. How do the Blues respond time and time again? They embrace it. This rag-tag group of aging veterans, budding phenoms and so-called “overpriced” transfers had no business hanging with the machine that is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. They didn’t care, that’s exactly the type of stuff they wanted to hear.
Chelsea fans have had to sit around and watch Man City and Liverpool lift trophy after trophy for the last five seasons. They were forced to reminisce on the dynasty that could have been with Antonio Conte and sulk about the results of recent seasons. None of that matters anymore. Why? Chelsea won the Champions League. The Blues are dysfunctional, they do—and have always done—things a bit differently than everyone around them. Pundits continue to question the managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge, but it works.
Next. Chelsea: Champions of Europe start a new chapter. dark
On this night, everyone associated with Chelsea Football Club will be celebrating around the world as their beloved club has climbed football’s highest mountain. It was never going to be pretty, but the Blues took a page out of the great Frank Sinatra’s book this season. They did it their way.