THE LONG ADVENTURE

                                  

                                CHELSEA FC ADVENTURE FOR THE HOLY GRAIL

 Up on her foundation, in April 4^th 1905, it took Chelsea fc 107 years to unlock the most coveted price in world football (the uefa champion’s league). THE HOLY GRAIL AS IT NICK NAMED.

CLUB NAME: CHELSEA FC                                                                                                         LOCATIO: FULHAM WEST LONDON (ENGLAND)                                                        
 STADIUM: STAMFORD BRIDGE                                                                                                 TRAINING GROUND: COBHAMS

After a long stay in the top flight of the English first division without wining any major title, the breakthrough came during the reign of manager “TED DRAKE”, who won Chelsea fc their first division league championship in 1955.

After which they became regular challenge for honors for the first time, on making their debut in their first uefa champions league appearance in 1998, under management of “RUD GULLIT” and “GIANLUCA VIALLI” they became a force to recon with and caught the eyes of the Russian billionaire “ROMAN ABRAMOVIC” who brought a revolution to the club in 2003, when he became the owner of the club.

He splashed out a record of 112million pounds in his first summer to get big name players such as, veron, and crespo, Joe Cole, smertin, and andrine mutu etc, to the club under the management of “Claudio ranieri”, the team went as far as the semi-finals of the champions league, in the 2003/2004 campaign and were runners up in the EPL.

This was not satisfactory to the Russian billionaire, and he responded quickly by acquiring the services of the special one “José mourinho” who had a successful season with Porto in 2003/2004 season, leading them to a cup double of the Portuguese league and the uefa champions league.

On making him Chelsea’s new manager, he introduced a new tactics and planted a never give up spirit into the team, with his own crop of players.

He quickly made his mark by wining the EPL back to back, in his first two seasons in charge of the club, and came as far as the semi-finals in the champions league on two occasions but was hacked down by Liverpool each time he tried to get pass this stage. In the 3 seasons he spent at the club, he won six trophies for the Chelsea fc.

2 premiership titles, 2 carling cups, 1 fa cup and 1 community shield.

He also won the uefa manager of the year award with Chelsea fc in 2005, and created an unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge.

In the summer of 2007, he resigned from Chelsea fc, due to some board room out burst, after his resignation, it seemed that Chelsea’s hopes of unlocking the Holy Grail has gone down the drain, and several managers after him tried but failed to unlock this most coveted price in world football.

Managers like “avram grant”, who was trophy less in his first season at the club, after missing out on the carling cup, EPL, and came close to unlocking the Holy Grail but failed and was fired afterwards.

In came “Philippe scolari” who caused Chelsea fc a nightmare in his first six months in charge of the club, while trying to change the pattern of play he was having problems with the players, whereby not getting the needed results, finally he was shown the exit door and in came “GUSS HINDIK” as an interim manager. In his stay he won the FA CUP and also came close to unlocking the Holy Grail, but was stopped by an injury time goal from Andre’s iniesta, which saw Barcelona through to the finals on away goals rule.

After that night, questions rose in the mouth and hearts of all Chelsea fan including me, the question of “when is it going to be our time”? After failing on four occasions when they came close to unlocking the Holy Grail.

But the search never stopped their, following the departure of “GUSS HINDIK”, there came the era of “CARLO ANCELLOTI” who in his first season in charge of the club won Chelsea their first league and FA cup double. But after a successful first season he failed to strengthen his squad for the task ahead, so he flopped during his second run, going trophy less and getting knocked out in the quarter finals of the uefa champions league, after a poor show in his second campaign he was fired, and in came “Andres villas-boas”, after his good performance with fc Porto, guiding them to the Portuguese league and Europa cup triumph, it cost Chelsea 18million pounds to acquire the services of this manager, but he was not able to replicate the same success he had at Porto at Chelsea.

After a frustrating first six months in charge of the club, he was shown the exit door just like other that came before him, and against all odds in came his assistant at that time, in the person of “ROBERTO DI MATTEO” to be the team care taker, and steady the ship for the time being, but it turned out that the young man was favored, in just six months he was able to achieve what past managers before him failed to do. And finally handed “Roman Abramovic” the title he has always craved for, the most coveted title in world football, the uefa champions league. And funny enough it was on a replica date same as the year Chelsea was founded 19/05.

Now Chelsea fc can be counted among the club sites that have laid their hands on the prestigious price in world football, the Holy Grail (uefa champions league)…