3 positives as Chelsea go out of UWCL in spirited draw at Barcelona
3. The Blues are knocking on the door to a UWCL title in the future
In two out of the past three years, Hayes’ team has found their way to the Champions League semifinals. To be able to bounce back in the fashion that they did following the elimination in December of 2021 tells a whole lot about the kind of culture that this world-class manager has created. Not once did they back down from a fight. There are only nine clubs in the history of this competition to either win a title or appear in two or more finals. The Blues had to play three of them in order to be 90 minutes away from the club’s first European club.
Even with the tallest mountain to climb out of any of the major contenders, the west Londoners still found themselves just an offside call away from playing an extra 30 minutes at the Camp Nou to book their place to the final. Two years ago, the Blues look out of place, letting in a goal in the first minute of play against Barcelona in the Champions League final.
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The growth of everyone at the club, from the coaching staff to the players is simply remarkable. It takes time, especially in a competition with such quality teams each season to earn a place at the top. Right now, it is not time for the west London side. Soon, it may be, and with the kind of experience that this club took on from the group stage all the way to Camp Nou, they will be well-prepared for whatever the competition throws at them next time around.