The star-encrusted balls have decreed that the holder, Chelsea, will take on Juventus, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Malmo in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stage. Juventus is expected to provide the Blues with the toughest challenge on paper, while trips to Saint Petersburg and Malmo won’t exactly be a walk in the park either. All three teams boast some incredibly talented players, a few of whom might be of interest to the Chelsea faithful—and perhaps, one day, even the club.
The Pride of London shortlists three opposing players from the group fans should keep an eye on:
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1. Federico Chiesa (Juventus)
Age: 23
Position: Right winger
Nationality: Italy
Individual Achievements: UEFA Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament
Did you know? Federico Chiesa is the son of footballer Enrico Chiesa, a former national team striker and one of the greats of Italian football. Enrico helped Fiorentina win the Coppa Italia in 2001, and it was in Florence his son Federico spent his formative years.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s waning influence in Juventus colors presented a unique opportunity for the club’s young hotshots. It was an open invitation to come forward and claim the throne for themselves, an opportunity in which Chiesa grabbed with both hands.
Juventus had hastily completed a deal to sign the right winger from Fiorentina in the summer window of 2020, which risked making him look like one of the side notes in a squad already brimming with talent and big names. However, over the course of the season, Chiesa showed why he was, and is, considered one of Italian football’s brightest young prospects. The 23-year-old grew in influence and scored some pretty crucial goals for the Bianconeri, including all three in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against FC Porto.
Chiesa scored the winner in the 2021 Coppa Italia Final and scored on the final day of the domestic season to help his team secure Champions League football. He finished the campaign with 14 non-penalty goals and 10 assists in 43 appearances, which earned him a spot in the Italian National Team squad for the European Championships. Chiesa found the net in the round of 16 and the semifinals as Italy won the tournament.
With Ronaldo having left the club for pastures renewed in Manchester, expect Chiesa to grow further in influence at Juventus. The youngster is technically gifted, fast, direct and skillful. He often plays on the right, from where he can fire in crosses, but also has a tendency to drift inside and attack the box. Chiesa’s work rate is impressive, as is his finishing ability. His talent reportedly attracted the attention of Chelsea this summer, who was said to have submitted a €100 million bid for his services.
2. Claudinho (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
Age: 24
Position: Central attacking midfielder or second striker
Nationality: Brazil
Achievements (Individual): ESPN Bola de Ouro Award Best Player 2020, ESPN Bola de Prata Award Best Newcomer 2020, ESPN Bola de Prata Award Best Midfielder 2020, Brasileirao Best Player 2020, Brasileirao Best Newcomer 2020, Brasileirao Best Midfielder 2020, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A Top Scorer 2020
Did you know? A journeyman early in his career, Claudinho played for seven different Brazilian clubs before turning 21: Santos, Corinthians, Bragantino, Santo Andre, Ponte Preta, Red Bull Brasil and Oeste. He also won the gold medal with Brazil at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In the context of Brazilian football, Claudinho is a late bloomer. In a country where talents as young as 18 and 19 are swept away by the riches of Europe, Claudinho secured his move across the Atlantic at the age of 24. He only arrived on the scene in 2019, when he tore up Brazilian Serie B with incredible returns for Red Bull Bragantino. However, it was in his second season he started attracting admiring glances from Europe.
Claudinho was the best player in Brazil’s top division in 2020. The attacking midfielder was the top scorer in the competition with 18 goals and six assists. Despite his team finishing 10th, the youngster was named the league’s best player, best midfielder and best newcomer in two separate awards. Links to sister club RB Leipzig emerged last season, but it was Zenit Saint Petersburg who beat the competition to secure his signing. The Russian club presented him to the world with a rendition of The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights.
OFFICIAL: Claudinho is here! 💙 pic.twitter.com/hS3bMvohXM
— FC Zenit in English✨ (@fczenit_en) August 13, 2021
The 24-year-old is an exciting player to watch. While he is often classified as an attacking midfielder or a second striker, one will often find him drifting into space, out on the flanks or in between the lines. He is a skillful player who often uses his touch and ingenuity to escape pressure from opposing defenders. Furthermore, his creativity and vision enable him to thread passes through to his teammates in dangerous positions, while he has a knack for getting in those positions himself—predicated by his 24 goal contributions in Brazilian Serie A last season.
Claudinho should be a joy to watch for Chelsea fans, as long as he doesn’t personally turn that joy into despair for the Blues.
3. Anel Ahmedhodzic (Malmo)
Age: 22
Position: Central defender
Nationality: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Achievements (Individual): Allsvenskan Defender of the Year 2020, Allsvenskan Young Player of the Year 2020
Did you know? Ahmedhodzic has had a previous spell in English football. The Bosnian signed for Championship side Nottingham Forest in 2016, but despite promises of a clear pathway into first team football, only made one senior appearance for the side. However, he made the bench for the first team on several occasions, including a third-round FA Cup against Chelsea in 2019.
Often, a good measure of a player’s talent is the quality of clubs said to be interested in signing them. By that logic, one can only have high hopes with Malmo’s Ahmedhodzic, given he has been linked with Napoli, Lazio, Atalanta, AC Milan, Manchester United, and of course, Chelsea.
As for his qualities as a player, here’s what the brilliant Scouted Ftbl’s profile reads about him:
"“Ahmedhodzic possesses a rare profile: he is a center-back with size, speed, solid defensive nous, quality in possession, and he has plenty of years before he peaks. Clubs should be battling to buy him…Even clubs at the level of Liverpool and Bayern Munchen would do well to get in on him early because when Ahmedhodzic breaks out, he will break the bank.”"
That’s the impression one gets while watching his individual highlights, as well. Ahmedhodzic’s physique and pace stand out almost immediately on viewing, as does his tendency to go in for clean, crisp, and well-timed challenges. Also remarkable is his ability to bring the ball out of defense, and his long switches of play are a joy to watch. It speaks volumes of his mental character, as well, that despite suffering from disappointment in his first spell in a foreign league, Ahmedhodzic managed to get his career back on track.
The Bosnian is certainly of a profile that interests almost all of the top European clubs at the moment. Luckily for Chelsea, two games against Malmo in the group stage will provide the club with the chance to watch the 22-year-old in action right in front of their eyes. As for the Blues faithful, it brings an opportunity to look out for a talented young centerback, who, in a few years, might find his way to Stamford Bridge.
Who are some of the opposing players you’ll be watching out for in the contest? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!