Things have been pretty bad at Stamford Bridge lately, yet being a Chelsea fan has been personally gratifying over the years. There are so many reasons to love this club, in fact, I don’t know why people hate us so much.
I mean apart from the unlikeable stuff, what’s not to like?
I’ve been a true Blue for the past 12 years, and that’s saying something, as I haven’t been alive that long. We’ve had many ups and downs, but apart from a few obvious treasures - my Mom being an example – there’s nothing I hold in higher regard than Chelsea Football club.
Here are 10 reasons why.
1. Jose Mourinho
He’s been fired from Chelsea twice, but Jose Mourinho will always be a part of what makes Chelsea what it is.
Undoubtedly our best ever manager, the Portuguese coach was immensely popular among the fans and will always have a special place in all of our hearts. He made us a force to be reckoned with, by building a team around a productive core which lasted for years, winning much silverware even after he was long gone.
He brought with him charisma, panache and a way with words which more times than not, bent the media to his will in order to achieve results out on the pitch.
Many football fans outside Chelsea probably hate Mourinho, but he is still our Special One, and will be no matter where he goes.
2. Roman Abramovich
Like it or not, the media-shy Russian has played a huge role in our history. Roman Abramovich changed Chelsea’s fortunes when he bought the club from Ken Bates back in 2003, and has continued to invest with the aim of making us the very best.
Sure he’s done some silly things over the years, like fire Mourinho, and keep Micheal Emanelo. But hey, where would we be without him?
Abramovich didn’t just help Chelsea, he revolutionized the game by pumping funds into it, leading many other billionaires to invest in the sport as well.
3. Frank Lampard
An absolute legend that Frankie Lampard. Our highest ever scorer and my favourite footballer, it’s a shame things had to end the way they did. We’re certain to see him return to Chelsea in another capacity, though, and I’m hoping it’s sooner rather than later.
Lampard would be a great reason to love any team. He is, after all, one of the Premier League’s greatest ever midfielders, and a goal-scoring one at that. His trademark late runs into the box and eye for goal made him a feared attacker, and incidentally, he would score a goal against Chelsea for Manchester City last season.
That goal, however, hasn’t stained his reputation one bit.
4. Success
Well, it would take a lot for one to support a club that doesn’t win. There could be other affiliations, of course, but if a neutral decided that he or she pick a club to settle down with (for lack of a better term) right now, it would probably be Leicester City, Bayern Munich or Barcelona; they’re the ones winning right now.
It was the same for me back then. When I took up an interest in football, the Blues were on top of the world, boasting bright young talents in Arjen Robben, Damien Duff, Joe Cole, and of course Lamps, Drogba and Terry.
Who else was I going to support? Arsenal?
5. Didier Drogba
Another legendary figure, Didier Drogba was recruited by Mourinho from Marseille back in 2004. The Ivorian would help Chelsea to four Premier League titles in two separate stints with the club, also scoring that Champions League-winning goal against Bayern Munich in 2012.
Drogba, now plying his trade in the MLS with Montreal Impact, scored 164 career goals at Chelsea, and could be back as soon as next season for yet another stint, in a different role of course. He was one of the best strikers we have ever had at the club, voted as Chelsea’s best ever player by the fans in 2012.
You just can’t be a Chelsea fan and not love Drogba, the Ivory Coast man is surely one of our greatest heroes.
6. The Drama
As most of you may have noticed, Chelsea aren’t a normal club. Our issues sometimes extend way beyond football. Just take the Eva Carneiro situation for an example, who else gets to go through stuff like that?
It’s a whole different experience when you’re a Chelsea fan, one thing we aren’t is mainstream. Hell, we couldn’t even attempt to defend the Premier League title after winning it so easily last season. Same thing happened when we won the Champions League, we didn’t make it past the group stage the next season, but went on to win the Europa League instead.
We also have little things like the curse of the number nine jersey, the revolving door in the manager’s office and the selling of players who turn out to be absolute stars at other clubs.
It’s not easy being a Chelsea fan, yet we wouldn’t trade it for the world.
7. John Terry
Our captain, leader and legend, John Terry, is the best example of what Chelsea stands for: bold, powerful and unrelenting.
Now in his 18th season as a first team player, Terry’s time at Chelsea may be coming to an end. He revealed, earlier this year, that he might not be awarded a new contract when his current one expires in June.
All Chelsea fans hope it won’t come to that, as the skipper is still one of the best central defenders around, and also the last remaining member of what used to be our powerful core.
Terry has been everything to Chelsea over the years. He remains a leader, a cool head and a source of inspiration. He’s a big reason to love this club.
8. Never Say Die Attitude
Chelsea do not know how to give up, it’s just not in our DNA and we always fight till the end. Sure things have been rough this season, we’re losing way more than we’re used to, but generally, we have stuck to this attitude by and large.
Just look at our run to the Champions League trophy four years ago. We weren’t even supposed to make it past Napoli in the round of 16 after losing 3-1 in the first leg, but there we were, battling the Barcelonas and Bayerns to get our hands on the coveted piece of silverware.
We just never know when we’re beaten, one of the main reasons why I love and support this football club.
9. Youth System
While Chelsea aren’t exactly famous for blooding youth players into the first team, they have taken great strides this season, giving youngsters such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Bertrand Traore and Jake Clarke-Salter first-team opportunities.
That should have been done a long time ago, though. Our youth set-up is unrivalled in England. Seven straight FA Youth Cup semi-final appearances, winning the trophy on four occasions, plus two consecutive UEFA Youth League victories in 2015 and 2016 tell quite the story.
Chelsea have been criticized quite a lot, in regards to youth, but given our continued success at that level, we are headed in the right direction.
10. Only London Club To Win The Champions League
Arsenal have great domestic history, while Spurs still have a shot at winning the league title this season, but Chelsea are the only club in London to have won the UEFA Champions League trophy.
What makes this even better is the manner in which we won it. We probably had no business even being in the final, and had lost four key players to injury and suspension, yet we beat a potent Bayern Munich in their very own Allianz Arena to lift the trophy.
Apart from the aforementioned clubs, there are also other well-known ones such as West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers, yet Chelsea are – in truth and in fact - the pride of London.
