Football

Ancelotti ‘sad’ for ‘fantastic’ Chelsea, backs Lampard for Stamford Bridge success

April 12, 2023 2:39 pm

Chelsea travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for their crunch Champions League fixture against reigning champions Real Madrid. They have a tough proposition on their hands given Karim Benzema’s proficiency against English clubs.

The French ace’s last 10 goals in the competition have come against English clubs. Chelsea were put to the sword four times, while Machester City and Liverpool conceded three goals apiece from his boots.

The Blues will have to deal with Vinicius Jr, the winger has 9 goal contributions and is leading the statistics for the most number of completed dribbles. However, in Raheem Sterling, they boast of the second-highest English goalscorer in the competition.

To make matters worse, the club has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Ancelotti ‘sad’ for Chelsea

Roman Abramovic may have been forced to sever ties with Chelsea but his legacy remains. The ritualistic changing of managers continues at Stamford Bridge with Graham Potter the latest victim.

The Blues’ form has not been much better as they stand in 11th place. European football is not guaranteed for next season and they need to win the Champions League to participate in the competition next year.

Ancelotti echoed the sentiments of fans about the dire state of affairs. The Italian also reminisced about his two-year stint with the club.

“I am sad, yes,” said Ancelotti. “I have a fantastic memory of this club, of the people that are still working there.

“I’m a supporter of Chelsea, of course, because I spent two really nice years there.”

Lampard to do a fantastic job

In the aftermath of Potter’s dismissal, Ancelotti was one of the names linked with the vacant West London job. The Italian continues to distance himself with a return to the Premier League with a future stint with the Brazilian national team.

Ancelotti hailed Lampard for his work ethic and believes he will do a great job with the Blues. He attributed the 44-year-old’s time with the club and believes it will help him deliver the right results.

“I hope that Lampard is able to do a fantastic job with them,” he said. “He has 20 years’ less experience [than me], but that will not change what will happen in the game.

“He was a fantastic player, extraordinary, he knows very well what can happen in these games but experience, in these matches, I don’t think counts for much.

“He arrived at the club a week ago, with a lot of players that he already knew. I think he’ll do well in the time that he’s at Chelsea.”

Premier League escape

Chelsea’s 11th place standing in the Premier League has not sit well with the fans. Their 1-0 defeat to Wolves on Lampard’s return to the dugout did not help their cause either.

In the Champions League, the Blues are five matches away from being crowned champions of Europe for the third time in their history. Lampard admitted that the toll league pursuits have on players and will look forward to drama on the European front.

Frank Lampard

“The Premier League is one of the greatest challenges in world football, and those challenges have obviously taken us to a place we don’t want to be as Chelsea,” said Lampard.

“I think the Champions League sometimes offers you a bit of escapism from that – a different speed of game, knockout football, those things can all contribute to getting different success in the same season.”

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