Two Conflicting Realities
After defeating Middlesbrough over the weekend, Chelsea finds itself in a prime position to make a lot of noise going into the final stretch of the season. Even with less than 700 fans in the stands at Riverside Stadium, the Blues still found a way to get past Championship side Middlesbrough to head into the FA semifinals for the third consecutive season.
Beyond the FA Cup, Chelsea can make a difference in all of its upcoming competitions even after its disheartening loss in the EFL Cup Final to Liverpool. The Blues still have a Champions League title to defend, a long-awaited FA Cup to win, and a chance to solidify themselves in the Champions League next season for the fourth straight season.
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Empty seats during the FA Cup match last weekend was a reminder of the current reality that the club is in. Despite all the success on the pitch for both the men's and women's teams, Chelsea is still under sanctions and in the process of finding new ownership. Chelsea Football Club is a sanctioned business as of now, and every single empty red seat last weekend demonstrated the true realities.
This is Chelsea Football Club, an elite team in the top-flight in the Premier League, and its former owner that brought it loads of success has found a way to reverse it all. With little money coming through now, each player has a significant cost to the club, and going forward this could be a problem. Signing players is not possible given the current state of the club, and with the season coming to a close in late May, the club could be in danger of losing some of its key players like Antonio Rüdiger.
The German center-back was reported to have signed a contract with Juventus after the club beat Bayern to it with Chelsea unable to offer any new contracts at the moment. The Blues have every right to give their star defender an offer once they are allowed to do so, but this situation is one that should scare the club going forward. Rüdiger is looking like he is out the door, and the Chelsea backline is appearing to be a completely different unit from this year.
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Manager Thomas Tuchel tried to avoid the harsh realities following the club's win on the road against Middlesbrough, stating, "We were very focused, very serious from the beginning. Showed the quality in the decisive moments and scored two early goals to give us a comfortable lead...The effort was huge, never let Middlesbrough get a foot back. I'm very happy, it was a deserved win...We come from a period with a lot of matches in a short period of time. Full credit for the team. I'm very happy."
Even with all of the drama, and the uncertainty of the new ownership despite many bids having been given, Chelsea has a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid in April and an FA Cup semi-final on tap. The Blues are unbeaten in all major competitions against Real Madrid, and that includes last season's semi-final win 3-1 on aggregate. In fact, Real Madrid has never beaten Chelsea in the five times these teams have played dating back to 1971. Carlo Ancelotti and a frontline led by French star Karim Benzema will go into the match with a focus on flipping the script.
Nine Premier League matches remain on the schedule for the Blues, and it looks good for Chelsea to retain its spot in the Champions League. Arsenal is playing some of its best football and sits in fourth place looking to get back to the best football competition in the world for the first time since the 2016-2017 season when it got obliterated by Bayern Munich.
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The Blues have not dropped a point in the top-flight of English football since January 18, 2022, against Brighton. There does not seem to be a threat from below them to force them out of the Champions League places. Liverpool and Manchester City will battle it out for the title, and Chelsea will have to give it another go at the title once again next season. One of the only things the team has been missing is a Premier League title, and these sanctions are not helping the cause when it comes to resigning and buying players.
As it is like for Emma Hayes and the women's team, Tuchel and the Blues can only control the performances on the pitch. Outside the white lines is a different story. Abramovich is taking his time when it comes to finding the right buyer for the club. The UK government says that the Russian owner will not receive a single penny from the sale of the club. Todd Boehly and the Ricketts family's groups are looking like they are the frontrunners right now according to NBC, but a deal needs to be made as soon as possible for Chelsea to have any sort of success past this season.
With many important Premier League matches on the horizon, an FA Cup, and a huge Champions League brawl, the focus will not be on the off-the-field issues. While some it is a positive thing for the club on the field, Abramovich needs to find someone, and someone as fast as possible until his club completely transforms into something completely unrecognizable. Positive results are miraculous during his turbulent time in West London, but at this point, the focus has to be more on finding new ownership for the sake of the future.
