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Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf slammed the Blues for a shocking performance in their 1-0 UEFA Champions League loss against Dinamo Zagreb at the Stadio Maksimir on Tuesday (September 6).
Chelsea, two-time UEFA Champions League winners, opened their 2022-23 campaign on a dispiriting note against the Croatian champions. Mislav Orsic's 13th-minute opener proved to be the deciding goal against a toothless Blues.
The west London outfit failed to make a mark throughout the contest, hitting the target just three times despite boasting 69% possession. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a goal ruled out for offside on his debut, while Reece James hit the woodwork late on in the game.
Speaking to ESPN, Leboeuf hit out at his former club for their clueless strategy and a lack of initiative during Tuesday's clash. He said:
"It was boring for 90 minutes. Actually, it was boring for 80 minutes and then suddenly Chelsea said, 'Wow, we're running out of time, we better rush now'. What happened for the first 80 minutes? What happened in their heads? Is the tactic to make the most passes in the game and not to care about the result?"
He continued:
"I was so upset watching that because for me it's a waste of time. We know they were going to keep the ball, go left to right, right to left, maybe somehow someone will do something special. But football is not like that. That was an appalling performance against a very average team."
When asked about how Blues boss Thomas Tuchel can turn around the club's season and get them firing again, Leboeuf added:
"It's complicated because they play like robots. They don't want to take any risks, they want to do the minimum to survive and that's totally not what we expect from them. We expect them to face up and take some risks. They don't seem to be able to do that right now."
Chelsea will next face London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage in a Premier League contest on Saturday (September 10).
Chelsea stutter in early stages despite heavy-spending summer
Chelsea dished out over £250 million under new ownership this summer, led by American businessman Todd Boehly, to help boost their chances in both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
But despite big-money signings like Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, the Blues have already slumped to their third defeat of the season. The club are currently sixth in the Premier League with 10 points from six games.
