European Super Football

As the 22/23 season slowly concludes, we are delighted to launch our new series of articles. The Big Questions will explore some of the issues in the minds of fans as we approach what could prove to be a vital summer for many clubs.  This is the first article. Can Chelsea find a solution that gets the best out of their players? It's hard to believe they were seen by some as an outside bet for a title push at the start of the campaign. Since then, they have sacked two managers and had to reappoint Frank Lampard as Interim Manager until the end of the season. Let's explore what Chelsea fans are saying and how they believe they can improve next season. Frank Lampard told the Chelsea social media accounts: "It's important we understand the pride that's at stake when you play for Chelsea." 'It's important we understand the pride that's at stake when you play for Chelsea.' 💙 Frank looks ahead to #CheBre . 👊 pic.twitter.com/8XsnycogKl — Chelse

There was big news from Stamford Bridge on May 21st It was announced that Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has parted ways with the club by mutual agreement after just one season at Stamford Bridge. Picture from  Football Pictures | Flickr The 52-year-old Argentine, who took over on 1 July, had signed a two-year contract with an option for an additional 12 months. Despite a challenging first half of the season, Pochettino managed to turn things around with five consecutive wins to close the season, securing a sixth-place finish in the Premier League. Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Under his leadership, Chelsea were also runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The club is now on the lookout for a new manager, with recent interest shown in Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, Sporting’s Ruben Amorim, and Burnley’s Vincent Kompany. Chelsea is aiming for a younger head coach and has ruled out the possibility of

 Chelsea officially have a new manager.  They have confirmed that Mauricio Pochettino will become their head coach from the beginning of the 2023/24 season.  The Argentinian will begin his new role on 1 July 2023 on a two-year contract, with the option of an additional year. Their recent Interim boss Frank Lampard took Chelsea to 12th in the Premier League - their lowest finish since the 1995/1996 season. The blues finished the Premier League   with a 1-1 draw against 4th placed Newcastle United .  In a statement on the Chelsea website, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said: "Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. " You can read more from the Chelsea website here:  Mauricio Pochettino to become Chelsea head coach | News | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club (chelseafc.com) Let's explore what some Chelsea fans are saying Frank i

Chelsea have announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new head coach The Italian takes over from Mauricio Pochettino, who left by mutual agreement on 21 May after just one season at Stamford Bridge. Maresca, 44, assumed control of the Foxes in June 2023 and guided them to the Championship title last season. Maresca celebrates his former club's Championship title win. Picture from  fuji.tim | Flickr Starting his new role on 1 July, Maresca becomes Chelsea's  sixth managerial appointment in five years and the fourth since May 2022. Chelsea had a mixed 2023-24 season but finished strongly, winning their last five matches to secure sixth place and qualify for the Europa Conference League. The Blues also finished as runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Following Pochettino's departure, several candidates were considered, including former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, and Brentford's Thomas

Gianfranco Zola is another football icon that a wonderful career He is an Italian football manager and former footballer who played predominantly as a forward. He was most recently the assistant manager of Chelsea. Quick summary of his career He spent the first decade of his playing career playing in Italy, most notably with Napoli, alongside Diego Maradona and Careca, where he was able to win the Serie A title, and at Parma, where he won the Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup.  He later moved to Chelsea, where he was voted the Football Writers' Player of the Year in the 1996–97 season. During his time at the club, he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield.  Who remembers this wonderful goal against Manchester United? In 2003, he was voted Chelsea's greatest player ever. You could even argue that he played a crucial part of Chelsea's rise to become a force across England and then the continent. With

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Chelsea Real Madrid comfortably beat Chelsea in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in a match whose final scoreline could have easily been more emphatic. Chelsea didn't take advantage of a strong start. They started well under new caretaker manager Frank Lampard, with Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling going close early, only to be thwarted by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois playing against his former club. <This is the place to go for all Chelsea news and stories> Karim Benzema's tap-in gave Real boss Carlo Ancelotti a fantastic start against his former club. The holders then struggled to add to their lead before Ben Chilwell was shown a straight red card in the 59th minute for fouling Rodrygo as the Brazil forward threatened to go clean through on goal. Some positives to take for Chelsea. The Blues carried more of an attacking threat after the tepid performance against Wolves in Frank Lampard's first game back a

Manchester United 0 - 6 Chelsea Chelsea clinched their sensational fifth consecutive Women's Super League title in style, with a resounding victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in Emma Hayes' final match as manager. The Blues, who started the level on points with Manchester City but ahead on goal difference, knew they might need a substantial win to secure the title on the final day. With so much at stake, Chelsea's players rose to the occasion, displaying a ruthless efficiency that United couldn't match. British record signing Mayra Ramirez delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice and setting up the other two goals, as Hayes' team went into half-time with a 4-0 lead. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Sjoeke Nusken, Melanie Leupolz, and Fran Kirby each added a goal to Ramirez's brilliant brace, sealing a commanding victory for Chelsea. It was the perfect send-off for Hayes , who was visibly emotional on this remarkable afternoon in Manchester, m

 Chelsea have appointed former manager Frank Lampard as caretaker boss until the end of the season. The 44-year-old, who is also Chelsea's record goalscorer, was previously dismissed as head coach at Stamford Bridge following 18 months in the job.  He then took charge at Everton but was sacked in January after less than a year in the role. He did however keep the Toffees in the Premier League.  Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali told the club website: "We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge. Frank is a Premier League Hall of Famer and a legend at this club. As we continue our exhaustive process for a permanent head coach, we want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season. We want to give ourselves every chance of success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line. "We have an important game against Wolves on Saturday and then we will tur

Chelsea v Barrow: Live social media posts and reaction from Stamford Bridge Barrow, who are joint top of League Two, started the night 64 places behind Chelsea in the football pyramid. Click here for more EFL Cup news and stories Live text commentary - How did the match unfold Full-time announcement Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a convincing win over League Two Barrow at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were too strong for the Bluebirds, despite manager Enzo Maresca making 11 changes to the team that defeated West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday. Chelsea 5 - 0 Barrow Nkunku completes his hat-trick . He tackled keeper Farman and passed the ball into an empty net. To be fair, after being 3-0 down, Barrow fans probably thought it should have been 7 or 8-0.  Chelsea 4 - 0 Barrow Two minutes after the restart, Pedro Neto scored his first Chelsea goal by tapping in after Mykhailo Mudryk's pass . Barrow fans are fearing a thrashing. Chelsea 3 - 0 Barrow T

 Chelsea 4 - 2 Leicester City Chelsea narrowly avoided a major upset against Leicester City to secure their place in the FA Cup semi-finals, thanks to two stoppage-time goals.  The Foxes were trailing 2-0 until an own goal by Axel Disasi from 35 yards out brought them back into the game. Stephy Mavididi then scored a fantastic equaliser for the visitors, which led to a tense atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, with the home fans voicing their displeasure with manager Mauricio Pochettino.  However, late goals from substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke secured the win for Chelsea in a dramatic second half. A red card with 17 minutes to go for Leicester defender Callum Doyle proved crucial. He fouled Nicolas Jackson and, having been initially been shown a yellow card and a penalty given, the video assistant referee ruled the foul was outside of the box but upgraded his yellow to red. Chelsea maintained constant pressure throughout the remainder of the game. In the end, Chukwueme

 Chelsea 2 - 1 Crystal Palace Noni Madueke secured a crucial victory for Chelsea with an 89th-minute penalty against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. The home team took the lead in the 13th minute after Malo Gusto's impressive play led to Mykhailo Mudryk slotting the ball home from close range. However, Palace equalized just before half-time when Michael Olise converted Jordan Ayew's cross into a bottom corner screamer. Despite numerous chances, Chelsea struggled to convert, raising concerns that their profligate finishing might haunt them for the second consecutive match under manager Mauricio Pochettino. In the 77th minute, Nicolas Jackson thought he had scored, only for VAR to rule him offside after poking in Thiago Silva's deep cross. In a tense finale, Chelsea finally got the breakthrough when VAR spotted a foul by Eberechi Eze on substitute Madueke inside the box. Madueke expertly converted the penalty, sending Palace keeper Dean Henderson

Manchester City 4 - 2 Chelsea Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to lead Manchester City to a 4-2 pre-season victory over Chelsea in Columbus. Haaland, 24, scored two quick goals in the first five minutes, taking advantage of two mistakes by Chelsea.  The first goal came from a loose pass by Tosin Adarabioyo, with Levi Colwill fouling Haaland for a penalty, which the Norwegian scored after a re-take. Haaland then doubled City's lead, intercepting a misplaced pass and scoring.  Pre Season: Celtic thrash Chelsea (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Click here for more Manchester City news and stories In the second half, City added two more goals, with Raheem Sterling's mistake allowing Oscar Bobb to score, followed by Haaland's hat-trick goal after another error from Malo Gusto. Despite Chelsea scoring twice, City secured the win.  Both managers blamed the "dry" pitch for the errors. City will now face Manchester United in the Community Shield, while Chelsea will pla

Chelsea 2 - 0 Servette  Christopher Nkunku’s penalty helped Enzo Maresca claim his first win as Chelsea manager, with the Blues securing a two-goal lead against Servette in the first leg of their Conference League play-off. A significantly rotated Chelsea side had been struggling to break down their Swiss opponents until Nkunku was brought down by goalkeeper Jeremy Frick early in the second half. The French forward, one of only two players to retain their place from the team that started the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City   calmly converted the penalty, marking the first goal of the Maresca era. Nkunku, a former Paris St-Germain player, celebrated in his signature style by inflating a blue balloon in front of the ecstatic Chelsea supporters. Chelsea nearly extended their lead shortly afterwards when Frick hesitated with the ball, allowing 18-year-old Marc Guiu to pounce. The Spanish youth international seemed poised to score, but he lost his composure, and Frick managed to recover a

Chelsea 2 - 0  Borussia Dortmund (Aggregate 2-1) It was a great night for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what was Graham Potter's finest night as Chelsea manager. Raheem Sterling made the breakthrough after 43 minutes, firing past Dortmund keeper Alexander Meyer after initially fluffing his shot.The goal that settled the tie and overturned Dortmund's 1-0 advantage from the first leg came in contentious fashion from the penalty spot after 53 minutes. Dortmund were furious when a VAR review penalised Marius Wolf for handball from Ben Chilwell's cross, and their sense of injustice heightened after Kai Havertz struck the post with his spot-kick only for a re-take to be ordered. Potter's revival Click here for more Chelsea news>>> Potter was under pressure after a dismal run of results following their outlay in the transfer market. Many pundits have argued that he had struggled to convince Chelsea's fans of his ability. He will hope the manner of this perform

Chelsea 2 -  0 Lille Chelsea took control of their Champions League tie against Lille with a straightforward victory at Stamford Bridge. Kai Havertz headed in Hakim Ziyech's corner after eight minutes and Christian Pulisic was the beneficiary of a superb run and pass from N'Golo Kante in the 63rd minute as the Blues secured a crucial advantage. Havertz was the main attacking threat for Chelsea - and the German almost scored twice before his early strike. Advantage Chelsea! 😁 #CheLil pic.twitter.com/x5qkkecw0Z — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 22, 2022 The only negatives on a good night for Chelsea and manager Thomas Tuchel were injuries to Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic ahead of Sunday's League Cup final against Liverpool. Chelsea had few worries against a spirited Lille side. Their composed and professional performance summed up by the quality shown by veteran defender Thiago Silva and outstanding midfield man Kante. --- Watch the highlights in the video. Footage courtes

Chelsea 0 - 2 Barcelona Barcelona won 2-1 on aggregate  Chelsea's hopes of making it to the Women's Champions League final in manager Emma Hayes' final season at the club were crushed with a defeat by Barcelona at a sold-out Stamford Bridge.  Despite leading 1-0 from the semi-final first leg, Chelsea was unable to hold onto their advantage as holders Barca turned the tide in their favour. Referee Iuliana Demetrescu made two crucial decisions that went against the Blues.  Firstly, she issued a second booking to Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan within four minutes, leaving the hosts with only 10 players on the field just before the hour mark.  A history of women's football (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Secondly, she awarded a penalty to Barcelona for a contentious foul on Aitana Bonmati, which Fridolina Rolfo converted. Bonmati had earlier cancelled out Chelsea's aggregate lead with a deflected strike off Buchanan, and her dramatic fall in the box under conta

It's time to have a look at another football icon.  This is a slightly altered version of an article first published here on Greater Manchester Football. (Gullit played for Sampdoria between 1993 and 1995) Ruud Gullit is a Dutch legend who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. Early career In 1978, Gullit signed professionally for HFC Haarlem. He made 91 league appearances for Haarlem and scored 32 goals. He made his debut for the club at just 16 years old, becoming at the time the youngest player in the history of the Eredivisie. In his first season at the club, they finished bottom of the Eredivisie, but bounced back the following season winning the Eerste Divisie. Gullit was named as the best player in the Eerste Divisie that season. Click here to read about more football icons In the 1981–82 season, Gullit was in fine form as Haarlem finished fourth and qualified for Europe for the only time in their history.  First two transfers The young Gullit was considered as a

Chelsea 2 - 2 Everton This could prove to be a very important point for Everton. Ellis Simms scored his first Everton goal to earn Sean Dyche's side a crucial point. They came from behind twice to draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Everton's improved resilience under Dyche was on show again. The 22-year-old local product Simms was the hero with a superb late equaliser to wreck Chelsea's hopes of a fourth consecutive win. Chelsea broke down Everton's resistance seven minutes after the break when the excellent Joao Felix drilled home a low drive. However, they were pegged back when Abdoulaye Doucoure scrambled home an equaliser from a corner after 69 minutes. The away side were only on level terms for seven minutes. Kai Havertz scored from the spot after Reece James was fouled by James Tarkowski. However, there was to be a late twist in the tale. Dyche had put Simms on to rescue a point, and he delivered in style with a powerful run and finish a minute from time

 Chelsea 1 - 1 Newcastle United (Chelsea win 4-2 on penalties) Kieran Trippier had a nightmarish experience at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea secured a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals through a penalty shootout. Despite Callum Wilson's 16th-minute goal appearing to propel Newcastle into the last four, substitute Mykhailo Mudryk seized on the veteran defender's mistake deep into stoppage time, leading to the match heading to penalties. Trippier, who has recently struggled with a dip in form, widened Newcastle's second penalty, and with keeper Djordje Petrovic saving Matt Ritchie's spot-kick, Chelsea transitioned from the brink of defeat to the joy of reaching the semi-finals. It was a harsh outcome for Trippier, a key figure under manager Eddie Howe, whose moment of indecision on a header provided Chelsea with the lifeline Mudryk capitalized on. Chelsea's Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku, and Mudryk all scored in the shootout, while only Callum Wils

Chelsea Women 1 - 0 Aston Villa Women There was collective sigh of relief echoed around Kingsmeadow as Chelsea secured their first win of the post-Emma Hayes era. Sonia Bompastor, the woman tasked with following in the footsteps of one of football's greatest managers, was warmly welcomed on a balmy evening under the lights on the outskirts of London. Stepping into the shoes of a legend – and there’s no doubt that 14-time major trophy winner Hayes is exactly that – can be an intimidating prospect. Just ask David Moyes or Arne Slot, following last weekend’s defeat at Anfield. Aston Villa arrived determined to earn their first points in this fixture, having lost all eight of their previous encounters with Chelsea. The visitors quietly impressed during the first half. Early signs suggested they might be overwhelmed by the occasion, but they successfully navigated a nervy start – including a significant miss by Chelsea's Guro Reiten – and began to settle into the game. How the 2