Chelsea chasing ‘impossible’ double
Because last season, after four years in which the trophy had been dominated by one of the best teams ever in Barcelona and two of the best managers in Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, the tournament was blown wide open by winners that had finished as low as sixth in their domestic league.
As such, it would be somewhat ironic if a side like that became the first in 23 years to actually retain the trophy.
Not that Roberto Di Matteo cares.
“In terms of how the external environment sees us, I don’t know, we are not really looking back,” he said at yesterday’s pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s clash with Juventus.
“We are trying to live in the present and the future.’’
If that’s the case, though, it’s going to be interesting to see how much Di Matteo takes from last season. Given the signings and the apparent evolution of the side, it is highly unlikely to be the same approach as last season.
Last season, in the face of teams like Barcelona, Di Matteo had little option but to revert to an emergency blueprint of desperate defending and defining moments of blind luck.
Di Matteo, however, disputes the latter. “Lucky? You need to deserve everything you get. We worked and prepared very hard. It can’t just be that.”
One thing Di Matteo couldn’t dispute was that the Champions League win itself altered the dynamic of his side. Certainly, they might not have attracted the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar without it.
“It would have been very difficult because they want to be involved in the biggest club competition in the world.”
For tonight’s game against Juventus, though, Chelsea may have to againrevert and adopt a bit themselves. Because, with a structure that hasn’t yet found a truly perfect balance in midfield, they will now see Andrea Pirlo controlling that exact area.
In public, at least, Di Matteo warned against becoming obsessed with individuals. “He’s not the only player. They’ve got many other players, it’s not just a one-man team.”
Interestingly, Gigi Buffon was saying much the same thing as he talked about Juventus’s own evolution.
“Before in Europe, we based our strength on individuality. We are now more solid and I think, in Europe, if you’ve got a good playing system [rather than individuals] it can be even more positive than before.”
Buffon added: “I believe there are two or three teams that are better than us, in terms of experience. But I think we are among four or five teams just behind that.”
Certainly, Di Matteo agreed with this when asked why no club had retained the competition in 23 years.
“Every season, there is new strong teams coming in like PSG and Juventus. It has just proved impossible for anybody to win it twice. But we will try to do the impossible.”
Some would argue they’ve already managed it once.
