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Chelsea have had an interesting campaign this year. Qualifying for the Champions League by finishing 3rd in the Premier League and having a European final to look forward to seems like a successful season in the neutral’s eyes.
Yet the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge feels anything but a success. On the contrary, the Chelsea supporters wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Maurizio Sarri, barely after a season at the Bridge. But that’s a topic of discussion for another day.
For the moment, the Chelsea faithful are looking forward to the upcoming Europa League final against fellow London rivals Arsenal. The Blues have in fact won the competition once, having done so by defeating Benfica in 2013.
That victory in Amsterdam meant Chelsea became the first and the only team (thus far) to win the Champions League and the Europa League in successive seasons. Looking back at the triumph, the Europa League success six years ago was Eden Hazard’s first trophy with the Blues and if rumors are to be believed then the same trophy could be the parting gift from the Belgian superstar to the Chelsea fans.
On that day, however, Hazard missed the final showdown due to a hamstring injury but this time around the Chelsea man is fit and raring to go.
Therefore, on the eve of the final we take a look at what has become of that team as the current generation get ready to take on Arsenal in Baku:
Manager: Rafael Benitez
The 2013 European victory was masterminded by none other than the current Newcastle United Boss Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard had been appointed as the interim manager after Roberto De Matteo was sacked mid-season due to poor league form and an early Champions League exit.
Due to his history with Liverpool and past feuds with Jose Mourinho, the appointment of Benitez wasn’t a popular one. In spite of the fan protests, Benitez secured a third-place finish alongside that victory in Amsterdam.
The Spaniard left Stamford Bridge after the Europa League triumph and after a successful spell in Naples and a not so successful one with Real Madrid, Benitez found himself in the Championship.
Although, after three wonderful seasons at Tyneside, Benitez is a firm fan favorite but with transfer funds in short supply, it remains to be seen how long he sticks around in Newcastle.
Defence
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
The man who guarded the posts on a famous night in Amsterdam looks in all likelihood to stand in the way of Hazard & Chelsea’s hopes of lifting the trophy once again in Azerbaijan.
Petr Cech will be playing his last game in an Arsenal shirt and there will be no better way to bid adieu to the game than to lift the European trophy once more. Cech left Stamford Bridge in 2015 after losing his place to Thibaut Courtois and joined Arsenal in the following summer.
After four years with the Gunners, the legendary goalkeeper has decided to draw the curtains on his illustrious career at the end of this season.
Right Back: Cesar Azpilicueta
Chelsea’s Mr Consistent looks likely to start once more in the Blues backline (this time as the captain though) as they harbor hopes of winning the Europa League trophy once again.
The 29-year old, who joined the club from Marseille in 2012 has remained a constant in the Chelsea backline for the past seven years despite the constant chopping and changing of managers.
Centre Backs: Branislav Ivanovic & Gary Cahill
The centre-back pairing on that night, Ivanovic and Cahill were a solid duo in those days. With John Terry absent due to an injury problem, it was Ivanovic who decided the fate of the match by scoring the winning header in the 93rd minute to crown Chelsea as the European Champions.
The Serbian international currently plies his trade in Russia with Zenit, having made the move back in 2017. Ivanovic is a regular starter for the club and recently won the 2018/19 Russian Premier League.
The Serbian’s partner in crime, Gary Cahill still finds himself at Chelsea. The Englishman has served the club well during his 7-year spell but after being demoted to the bench by Sarri this season, Cahill is most likely to depart Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Left Back: Ashley Cole
One of England’s finest full-backs of all-time, Ashley Cole left Chelsea in 2014 to experience the Serie A with Roma. After a less than a successful spell in the Italian capital, Cole landed in the States in 2016 as he signed for the LA Galaxy.
After his spell in the MLS, Cole returned to England on a temporary basis to join Derby County under the stewardship of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard. After the heart-breaking loss to Aston Villa in the playoff final, Cole might just have played his last ever game.
Central Midfield
Frank Lampard
One of the greatest players in Chelsea’s history, Frank Lampard currently manages Derby County in the Championship. Ashley Cole’s teammate in 2013 became his manager in 2019 and almost led the team to the Premier League in his first attempt.
Lampard left Chelsea in 2014 with the Europa League being his last trophy with the Blues. One-year spells with Manchester City and New York City followed before Lampard decided to enter into the world of management.
Despite the heart-wrenching loss to Villa at Wembley recently, Lampard has shown enough promise to be considered as one of the best upcoming managers of this generation.
David Luiz
Surprisingly, Benitez opted to start David Luiz in midfield in Amsterdam to provide defensive solidity to the backline. A cult hero at the club, David Luiz has been nothing short of an enigma during his two spells at Stamford Bridge.
After leaving Chelsea in 2014 for the bright lights of Paris, the Brazilian defender re-joined the Blues two years later. With experience, the 32-year old has become a mature figure. And after being sidelined by Conte in his last season at the club, the Brazilian has been restored back to the starting lineup by Sarri this season.
Attacking Midfield
Ramires
An unsung hero for the club, Ramires produced moments of magic on the biggest nights for the club. Despite being a regular starter for Chelsea initially, the Brazilian faded a little towards the end of his Chelsea career.
A move to Jiangsu Suning in China followed but a fallout with the club management meant he hasn’t played much in the past two seasons.
Juan Mata
The little Spaniard who became the darling of Stamford Bridge upon his arrival in 2011, setup up Ivanovic’s winner just like he had done a year earlier in Munich.
Just when everyone thought he was going to become a Chelsea legend, the arrival of Jose Mourinho put a spanner in the works. The Portuguese’s defensive tactics meant Mata was surplus to requirements and was later sold to Manchester United in 2014.
After outlasting 3 managers in Manchester, Mata’s Old Trafford journey seems to be on its last legs. With no sign of a contract extension yet, Mata might be plying his trade somewhere else next season.
Oscar
Still only 27 years old, it seems like an eternity ago that Oscar bamboozled the Chelsea fans with his silky skills. The Chelsea faithful immediately fell in love with the twinkle-toed Brazilian ever since his majestic brace against Juventus in the Champions League.
The Brazilian currently plies his trade at Shanghai in the Chinese Premier League after being deemed surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte in 2017. After winning the league title in 2018 and reaching double figures for goals, Oscar might be in no rush to return to Europe.
Striker
Fernando Torres
The first goal scorer on the night in Amsterdam, Torres certainly reserved his best on Chelsea’s biggest European nights. After being put clean through by Juan Mata, the £50 million striker kept his cool and rounded the keeper before finishing into the empty net.
‘That’ goal against Barcelona had already etched his name into the history books but his performances in the Europa League triumph partly showcased the old Torres.
On their way to victory in Amsterdam, ‘El Nino’ scored 6 times in nine games including the goal in the final.
Torres joined the Sagan Tosu in the J-League in 2018 after a mildly successful three-year spell with his boyhood club Atletico Madrid.
Despite not being a prolific scorer for the Blues, the Chelsea faithful still remember him for what he achieved with the club rather than what he could not.
Substitutes
Interestingly, Chelsea did not use any of their substitutes that night.
