Chelsea FC!
Chelsea Football Club
Nicknames The Blues
The Pensioners
Foundation March 10, 1905
Stamford Bridge
Capacity 42,055 [1]
Chairman Bruce Buck
Coach Carlo Ancelotti
Sponsor Samsung
Adidas sports equipment
Competition Premier League
Website chelseafc.com
Chelsea Football Club (IPA: tʃɛɫsi), also known as Blues, is a football club in London, England, considered one of the world today. [2] [3] Founded on March 10, 1905, the club won the league four times, six times the FA Cup four times the League Cup four times the Super Cup in England, in addition to two European Cup Winners Cup and one European Supercup. [4]
Between 1939 and 1945, Chelsea were forced to leave the Premier League, along with many other clubs, due to World War II, since all results obtained during the conflict was seen as "unofficial." Thus, Chelsea competed in a series of regional competitions, and, like any other club, its cast was seriously declining, due to the war (only two members of the Chelsea does not make it into the war).
The club had its first major success in 1955 when he won his first title in English. Also won several titles during the 1960s and 1970s, but returned to win another major title until 1997. The last decade has been the most successful period in the history of Chelsea, capped by winning three Premier League titles and reach his first final of the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea tells its games at Stamford Bridge, with capacity for 42,055 spectators, and is located in Fulham Road. [1] Despite its name, the team really is not located in Chelsea, but is in a neighboring district (Fulham ). In 2003 Chelsea were bought by the oil tycoon, the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich [5].
The club's traditional color is royal blue, used for shirts and shorts, while white is used in socks. Its shell is traditionally composed of a lion holding a cane. The original version of this shield was first used in 1953 when Ted Drake was responsible for changing the image of the club. The shield was modified in 2005 to commemorate the centenary of the club, and is still used today. [6] The club has a large number of supporters, with whom, has the fifth highest average attendance in England [7]. And, according to research published in 2010, the club also has the fourth largest supporter of the European continent, with nearly 22 million fans [8].
[Edit] HistóriaVer Main article: History of Chelsea Football Club
[Edit] Pre-fundaçãoEm 1896, Henry Augustus "Gus" Mears, a football enthusiast and businessman, along with his brother, Joseph "Joe" Mears, purchased the Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, west London, with the intention that stage startups would receive the highest level of English football, but had to wait until 1904 to take possession of the property, since, by the laws of the time, the new owner could only take office once the current die. After having taken possession of the stadium outright, the president tried to persuade Fulham to take the stadium as its home, but failed, after a dispute over rent. After failures in bringing football matches, decided to sell the stadium for the Great Western Railway Company, which was building the railway line would link London to the west of England, but on the advice of his friend Fred Parker, the Mears brothers decided not to sell it, and create a club to play matches at the stadium, giving rise to the Chelsea Football Club [9].
[Edit] Early years
First cast of Chelsea, Chelsea 1905.O was founded on March 10, 1905, in a pub called The Rising Sun He played his first official match on September 2, 1905, in the defeat to Stockport County, the Second Division English. [10] His first win was in a friendly against Liverpool in the Pensioners (as is also known) won by 4-0.
The first player of the club was the Scotsman John Tait Robertson, who was also the coach at the same time. The club began with the hiring of players from other teams, including the goalkeeper William Foulke, who had just been champion of England with Sheffield United and Jimmy Windridge, who came from Small Heath. The club finished a respectable third place in his first season played. But Robertson left the team in 1907 due to conflicts with the board. With that, William Lewis became the interim coach, leading the team to promotion to the end of the season, thanks largely to the goals of Windridge and George Hilsdon. The latter was the first striker to play for Chelsea, scoring five goals in twenty-seven games in his first season, besides being the first player to score more than one hundred goals for the Blues shirt.
Lewis was replaced by David Calderhead, who would remain the next twenty-six years in charge of Chelsea. [11] In the first few seasons, the team had little success getting between the First and Second Division. Were relegated in season 1909-10, back in 1911-12 season and finished last season in 1914-15. Reached the final of the FA Cup in 1915 against Sheffield United, but was defeated by 3-0. [12] The club had been relegated in that season but the league was suspended due to World War I and, after the end the war, Chelsea was invited to compete in the First Division again.
Chelsea's match against West Bromwich Albion in September 1905.A 1919-20 season, was the first full season after the war, was now the most successful club. Led by striker Jack Cock, the club finished third in the league [13] (the best result by a London club until then) and reached the semifinals of the FA Cup, where they lost to Aston Villa and lost their first chance to contesting a final at Stamford Bridge. The club was relegated again in 1923-24 season and four of the next five, lost the opportunity to rejoin the First Division, finishing fifth, third, fourth and third again, respectively. [13] He returned to England in the elite season 1929 - 30, where it remained for the next thirty-two years.
To attempt an excellent season in 1930, the club spent twenty-five thousand pounds in the hiring of three key players: Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson and Alec Cheyne. [14] Gallacher in particular was one of the greatest talents of his time, known for his eye for goal and have taken Newcastle United to the national title season in 1926-27. He and Jackson also took part in the famous Wembley Wizards team, a team from Scotland who beat England 5-1 at Wembley in 1928. However, although the team had big wins once in a while, like 6-2 over Manchester United and 5-0 over Sunderland, did not get the desired performance. Gallacher was Chelsea's most prolific scorer of the beginning of each of his four seasons, noting eighty-one goals in total, but his time in London was filled with long suspensions for indiscipline. Jackson and Cheyne struggled to solve the problems of the club, but not having the same performance as before. The trio did not get to play three hundred matches altogether, and left a substantial financial loss for the club. His biggest disappointment was at Chelsea for errors throughout the decade.
Calderhead stepped down in 1933 and was replaced by Leslie Knighton, but the new coach of the team had little luck. [15] Several times during the decade, the club had players like Tommy Law, Sam Weaver, Syd Bishop, Harry Burgess, Dick Spence and Joe Bambrick, all foreigners, but the maximum achieved during the period was an eighth place. Ironically, two of the most popular clubs have sold the club two star players: goalkeeper Vic Woodley and striker George Mills. The latter was the first player to score more than one hundred goals for the club's shirt in the league. He avoided relegation of the club for two points in 1932-33 and 1933-34 seasons and a point in the season 1938-39.
Performance in English Premier League club between 1906 and 2007.O club was very popular throughout the country, apaido by many followers. The visit of Arsenal on 12 October 1935 attracted 82,905 spectators at Stamford Bridge, which remains an attendance record in the Premiership. [16] In 1939, the club was not well and Knighton was dismissed as coach. He was replaced by Scot Billy Birrell, a man whose idea was to radically alter the fate of the club.
[Edit] Between and after guerraBirrell was appointed Chelsea manager shortly before the outbreak of World War II. After three games in the 1939-40 season, the championship was abandoned in Britain for the duration of the conflict, which meant that all results were considered "unofficial." Chelsea compete in a series of regional campetições, and, like any other club, its cast was severely diminished (only two members of the Chelsea does not make it into the war). The club therefore conducted a series of new hires: Matt Busby, Walter Winterbottom and Eddie Hapgood. Also competed in the Football League War Cup, making his debut at Wembley in a 3-1 defeat against Charlton Athletic in late 1944 and a year later by beating Millwall 2-0 in front of eighty thousand spectators. After the last game, John Harris became the first captain to lift a trophy at Wembley, receiving the trophy from Prime Minister Winston Churchill [17].
Team Dynamo Moscow at Stamford Bridge before the match against Chelsea in November 1945.Em October 1945, at the end of the war, the football authorities in England sought a way to celebrate the return of peace in playing time . As part of a goodwill gesture, it was announced that Dynamo Moscow, which reigned in the Soviet Union, visit the UK to play against different teams, including Chelsea. The match took place on November 13 at Stamford Bridge, with a red uniform totally unknown, due to a clash of colors in the uniform of the Dynamo.
Before the start of the game, the Dynamo players presented him a bouquet of flowers to her counterpart. Yet the British people saw as a "false peace". The Soviet team surprised many viewers with his talent and technique during the match that ended with a tie at 3-3. It is estimated that a crowd of more than one hundred thousand people watched the game with thousands of people illegally in the stadium. This number is the highest ever recorded at Stamford Bridge but is estimated [18].
After the war he returned to Chelsea as a team, and again bought three renowned talents: Tommy Lawton, Len Goulden and Tommy Walker, spending about twenty-two thousand pounds. The trio met the expectations of many (Lawton scored twenty-six goals in thirty-four games in the league in 1946-47 season with Chelsea), but the club finished in thirteenth place under the command of Birrell. The major contributions of Birrell were off the field. He oversaw the development of a support program for young people, led by former players Dickie Foss, Dick Spence and Jimmy Thompson. During the next three seasons, the policy was to produce a seemingly endless stream of talent to the core team.
In 1950, in the FA Cup after beating Manchester United 2-0 in a pulsating quarter-final, Chelsea faced Arsenal at White Hart Lane. Two goals from Bentley put Chelsea in front of the scoreboard, but Arsenal just before the end of discounting the first time. Chelsea seemed unable to recover from the blow and Arsenal scored the equalizing goal with fifteen minutes from time, then, by winning the replay 1-0. A year later, Chelsea seemed destined to be relegated with four rounds remaining, they were nine points to get, and being in the last fourteen games without a win. After surprisingly winning the first three games, Chelsea have entered the final game where they needed to beat Bolton Wanderers and await the outcome between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday. Chelsea won 4-0 at Everton and Sheffield defeated by 6-0, thus ensuring their stay in the elite. In 1952, Chelsea and Arsenal clashed again in the semifinal of the FA Cup. After a tie for a try in the first game, Chelsea lost 2-0 the second leg. Birrell was fired shortly thereafter.
[Edit] The years of Ted Drake (1952-1961) In 1952, the former Arsenal striker has been named new coach. One of the first "interventions as coach" was to shake hands with each player and wish les "best" before each match. Drake proceeded to update the club, both in and off the field. One of his first actions was to remove the image from Chelsea pensioner and change the nickname of the club. From there, the club became known as the Blues. Improved the training regime, introducing a rare practice in training in England at that time, the support program junventude grew and the club left to hire stars unreliable, thereby, rely on players from the basic class. Drake's early years were of little success, finishing in tenth again, just one point above the zone Rabaix in his first season and eighth in his second season [19].
In the 1954-55 season Chelsea could be more regular than in other years. The team found a regularity that did not have before, which led Chelsea to win the First Division unexpectedly with a team, mostly composed of young, in the absence of jogadres stars. The model includes players such as goalkeeper Charlie Thomson, amateur players Derek Saunders and Jim Lewis, midfielders like Johnny McNichol, Eric Parsons, Frank Blunstone, Peter Sillett as defenders, players like veteran Ken Armstrong, Stan Willemse, John Harris, and the only star of the team, Roy Bentley.
Chelsea have began a season with four straight defeats including a 5-6 defeat against Manchester United. From there, the team goes into a "queue" wins, losing only three of the next twenty-five games, clinching the title with one round in advance, after the victory over Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 in St. George's Day . The key to success has been due to two important victories against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Molineux in the first, a dramatic 4-3 victory and the second at Stamford Bridge by 1-0.
With the conquest of the championship, Chelsea had the opportunity to contest the first UEFA Champions League, which would be organized in the following season. In fact, his rival would be the first Swedish team Djurgårdens. However, The Football Association and Football League intervened and denied the involvement of Chelsea because members opposed the idea, considering that should be prioritized national competitions, so that the club had to withdraw.
Chelsea were unable to build on the success of its title, and finished in a disappointing sixteenth place in next season. The team was aging and had to use the basic categories. One of the main "bright spots" in this period is the emergence of striker Jimmy Greaves, one of the best in Chelsea (scored one hundred twenty-four goals in four seasons). Along with Greaves, a number of other youths began to emerge, colloquially known as the Drake's duckings. One of the lowest points for the club in this period was the elimination in the third round of the FA Cup against a team from the fourth division, the Crewe Alexandra in January 1961. When Greaves was sold to Milan in June 1961, the club has declined dramatically. Few later, Drake suffered a painful defeat to Blackpool with Chelsea, 4 to 0. He was replaced by Tommy Docherty soon after.
Bobby Tambling and Barry Bridges worked together during that Docherty was the coach. [Edit] The era Docherty (1962-1967) Tommy Docherty has instituted a regime of strict discipline, selling and replacing veteran players for younger players Chelsea's own, and other English clubs. At the moment took over the club in January 1962, the team was doomed to relegation. No chance to avoid relegation from the team, Docherty used the remaining matches for experiments, testing and other forms of game players. Chelsea returned the following season, ending with the runner-up, having secured his ranking after victory over Sunderland by scoring a minimum and, in the last game thrashed 7-0 by Portsmouth.
Chelsea returned to the First Division with a new young team which included players like Ron Harris, Peter Bonetti, Bobby Tambling, John Hollins, Eddie McCreadie, Ken Shellito, Barry Bridges, Bert Murray, captain Joe Fascioni and Terry Venables, all promoted from basic categories. However, Docherty was not satisfied.
Chelsea finished fifth in his first season playing football at a base of strength and quick passing, which made him one of the first teams in England to adopt that system of play. Were invited to play a friendly against the German team, which was filled with big names like Franz Beckenbauer, Uwe Seeler and Berti Vogts. In the first thirty minutes, Chelsea won the match by 3-1, but after the match ended tied at 3-3. Chelsea have quickly established a rhythm in their games, vying for the English title to Manchester United and Leeds United. The Football League Cup was won with a 3-2 victory over Leicester City with a memorable effort from McCreadie and a tie at 0-0 in the return match.
However, problems began to appear when Docherty faces some of the strongest personalities in the locker room, especially Venables. The team was defeated by Manchester United and lost 2-0 in the FA Cup semifinal against Liverpool, despite being favorites. Docherty then sent home eight players (Venables, Graham, Bridges, Hollins, McCreadie, Hinton, and Murray Fascioni) as a "curfew" before the crucial game against Burnley. With a team full of youth, were defeated by 6-2, missing the league title, finishing third. The following season would be big challenges in the league, the FA Cup and the Fairs Cup. Player a total of sixty games in three competitions, the team could not stand, finishing fifth in the league, and being defeated in the semifinals of the FA Cup by Sheffield Wednesday.
In the Fairs Cup, faced Roma (a violent encounter, during which Docherty was ambushed by supporters of Rome), 1860 Munich and Milan, reaching the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Barcelona. They won at home 2-0, but in the return match at Camp Nou, were defeated by 5-0. Docherty, and its relationship with several players had reached their limit. He made the decision to stop a team that had a mean age of twenty-one years. Venables, Graham Murray and sold the following season, while the Scottish Charlie Cooke was purchased for seventy-two thousand pounds, and Tommy Baldwin was replaced by Graham. Also promoted striker Peter Osgood.
Chelsea, with Osgood as the heart of the team, led the league in October 1966, being the only unbeaten club after ten league games, but Osgood suffered a broken leg during a League Cup match. To replace Osgood, Docherty hires by striker Tony Hateley hundred thousand pounds, but Hateley does not meet the expectations and the team finished ninth in the league. The club also reached the final of the FA Cup but were beaten by Leeds United (this was the game that started the fierce rivalry between the two clubs).
Chelsea played against Tottenham Hotspur to their first FA Cup final played in London. Ron Harris, a twenty-two, was the youngest captain in history to contest a final. Chelsea was defeated by 2-1 by the Spurs, who had in his squad no more and no less than Terry Venables and Jimmy Greaves. The following season, Chelsea have won just two of their first ten league games, which caused the resignation of Docherty
[Edit] The era Sexton (1967-1974) In the first game after the departure of Docherty, Chelsea suffered a historic rout for Leeds United 7-0, which is the largest defeat in club history. Dave Sexton, former manager of Leyton Orient, and with a personality much more quiet and reserved that Docherty was appointed manager. Sexton hire players such as John Dempsey, David Webb, Ian Hutchinson, Alan Hudson and Peter Houseman. Sexton, being a good coach, leading Chelsea to finish second in the league, as well as a brief foray into the Fairs Cup in season 1968-69, having been defeated by DWS Amsterdam [20].
Chelsea finished third in the championship season at the behest of Sexton, whose players made up the touchdown by Osgood and Hutchinson, who scored fifty-three goals, and reached the final of the FA Cup in the same season, and the first time after fifty-five years. In the end, what happened at the legendary Wembley Stadium, Chelsea faced Leeds United, one of the top teams at the time. The first match ended tied at two goals. In the second, Chelsea managed to recover its prestige after suffering a historic rout and win by 2-1 and finally win their first FA Cup.
with the conquest of the FA Cup, Chelsea won the right to contest the European Cup Winners Cup the following season, playing well, his first European tournament. Wins over Aris Thessaloniki and CSKA Sofia led the quarterfinals where he faced the Brugge, winning by 4-0. In the semifinals, faced and defeated Manchester City, reaching their first European final. In the final, played in Athens, met Real Madrid. The result was the same at the end of the previous season when he won the title on Leeds, tying their first match by 1-1 and winning the second by 2-1, thus earning its first European title.
[Edit] Hard Times (1972-1983) There was more success in the decade and several of the major problems of the club grew. Since the early 1970s, the discipline of the team began to lean. Sexton's problems increased when discuções with Osgood and Hudson appeared. As the spirit of the team declined, the results also did not show up anymore. Chelsea are knocked out of European Cup Winners Cup in season 1971-72 by unknown Åtvidabergs, Sweden, in the FA Cup by Leyton Orient, though winning the match by 2-0 and lost the League Cup final against Stoke City . He finished twelfth in the 1972-73 season and seventeenth the following season. The problems of Sexton and Osgood and Hudson reached their limit after a home defeat against West Ham United by 4-2 in 1973, selling players over the months. Sexton was sacked early in the 1974-75 season, giving way to his assistant, Ron Suharto, who was unable to avoid relegation team in 1975 [21].
The construction of the East Stand has caused many of the club's financial problems during the years 1970 and 1980.A construction of the East Stand as part of a project to build a stadium of 60,000 seats were added. The project has been described as "the most ambitious ever undertaken in Britain." He concluded with an economic crisis and was hit by delays, strikes by the manufacturers and material shortage, which led to let them control the cost of building the club and increase its debt to 3.4 million pounds. As a result, between August 1974 and June 1978, Chelsea was unable to buy a single player. The decline of the team was accompanied by a decrease in the frequency of fans in the stadium and the increase of the euphoria that went out of control, causing damage to the stadium. In the late 1970s and early 1980s were the "golden age" of English fans. Chelsea had their fans: Chelsea Headhunters, were particularly known for its violence and its relationship with political extremists.
The former Chelsea player, Eddie McCreadie became manager of the club, [22] just before the fall of 1975 and, after a year of consolidation in the 1975-76 season, led the team right back in the elite season 1976-77, with a team of young players, of which the highlight was Ray Wilkins and Steve Finnieston, along with veterans Cooke, Harris and Bonetti. McCreadie had a contract dispute with the club and another former Chelsea player was appointed manager, Ken Shellito now [23].
Shellito kept Chelsea in the First Division in 1977-78 season, although the peak of the season was a 4-2 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup. Shellito was fired in the middle of next season after winning just three league games. Even the brief return of Peter Osgood did little club. Shellito's successor was a former Tottenham Hotspur player, Danny Blanchflower, who was unable to avoid relegation from the club, managed only five wins and twenty-seven defeats. [24] Wilkins, dss a few stars still in the club, was sold to Manchester United and hero in the final of World Cup 1966 Geoff Hurst became the new coach in September 1979, with Bobby Gould as his assistant. His arrival would soon result, for a period Chelsea topped the table but ended up finishing fourth, missing the chance to return to elite English. The following season the team struggled to score goals, going through a period of nine games, winning only three games in twenty and finishing in twelfth season in 1980-81. Hurst, in the following section, was fired [25].
In 1981, Brian Mears resigned as president, which ended with seventy-six years of a relationship between the club and Mears family. One of the last acts of Mears was to appoint former Wrexham coach John Neal as the new coach of the club. A year later, with a huge debt, the club can not pay the salaries of players, then a businessman and preseidente of Oldham Athletic, Ken Bates bought the club for the incredible sum of one pound, although he refused to buy the stadium and substantially increased its debt, an act which later regretted. Bates proved to be a real fighter as the new president, although his opponents included supporters as well as the property of Marler Estates, to whom David Mears, brother of Brian, had sold a part of Stamford Bridge.
In the 1981-82 season, Chelsea finished second again in the tenth. In the fifth round of the FA Cup, Chelsea eliminated the European champions this season: Liverpool 2 to 0. In the quarter-finals, he faced his former rivals: Tottenham Hotspur, who beat by 3-2. The 1982-83 season was the worst in the history of Chelsea. After a bright start, the team has dropped dramatically, leaving a period of nine games without a win, getting the two points dropped for the third division. In the penultimate game of the season, Chelsea beat Bolton Wanderers with a great goal from twenty-three feet Clive Walker, ganhoando to end, for 1-0. A home draw against Middlesbrough in the last round, ensured its permanence.
[Edit] A new beginning (1983-1989) The summer of 1983 marked a turning point in the history of Chelsea. Coach John Neal made a number of decisive changes in club history. Contracted players like Kerry Dixon, Pat Nevin, Nigel Spackman, David Speedie Eddie Niedzwiecki and, besides the return of John Hollins as player-coach, paying a total of five hundred thousand pounds. Quickly, Dixon and Speedie be "combined", scoring more than two hundred goals in three years. The new Chelsea began to bear fruit and in season 1983-84 with a victory 5-0 over Derby County on the opening day, winning 5-3 over Fulham and Newcastle United by beating 4-0. Dixon scored thirty-six goals in all competitions, a record that belonged to Bobby Tambling and Jimmy Greaves, and sealing around the elite with a 5-0 victory over his former adversaries: the Leeds United. The team finished champions of the Second Division with a victory over Grimsby Town.
On his return to Premier League, Chelsea finished sixth in the 1984-85 season. He also reached his third final of the League Cup against Sunderland, which had fallen that season. The former Chelsea player Clive Walker was part of that team at Sunderland and inspired his team to win by 3-2 at Stamford Bridge (5-2 in total), which was followed because of a riot. The game continued with the mounted police and supporters in the countryside, and later the violence spread through the streets. Neal retired at the end of the season due to his poor health and was replaced by Hollins.
Hollins, in his first season at Chelsea was near the English title, topping the ratings in February, but injuries to Dixon and Niedzwiecki, combined with a series of bad results, especially during Passover, performed the title hopes go " water below. " A victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford by 2-1, and another on the West Ham left Chelsea three points behind Liverpool, who were the leaders in the last five rounds. However, once again finished in sixth place. The same season, was champion of the newly created Full Members Cup with a 5-4 victory over Manchester City at Wembley thanks to a hat-trick of Speedie.
Glenn Hoddle.A root of this new beginning, the team would collapse again, finishing fourteenth in the following season. The team spirit began to lose it with Hollins, after discussions with several key pieces of the cast, in particular, Speedie and Spackman, which were subsequently sold. Bobby Campbell took over in March, but could not prevent the fall of Chelsea, after a defeat against Middlesbrough in a match which was again followed by problems with fans and an attempted pitch invasion, which resulted in temporary closure of stadium . However, the club returned quickly and robustly, despite not winning any of their first six games, were promoted as Second Division champions with ninety-nine points, seventeen points more than the runner-up Manchester City.
[Edit] 1990s: Back to trilhosO Chelsea had an impressive return to the First Division in season 1989-90. Coach Bobby Campbell guided a unit of most players, the team would finish in a creditable fifth place. Because of the ban on English clubs from participating in European competition, Chelsea missed the chance to play their first UEFA Cup. In the same season, Chelsea won their second Full Members Cup, by beating Middlesbrough 1-0 at Wembley. Campbell resigned a year later and was replaced by Ian Porterfield, who helped Chelsea to stay in a good position in the newly formed Premier League in season 1991-92. Shortly thereafter, he was replaced by former Chelsea player in 1970: David Webb, who led the team to finish in eleventh. Webb was fired at season's end, Glenn Hoddle, who had the post of player-manager of Swindon Town, took his place.
However, in 1992, after more than a decade of uncertainty about the future of Stamford Bridge, giving rise to legal controversies, Bates finally wins property developers and also the right to meet with the club, making an agreement with its banks. This led to the creation of the Chelsea Pitch Owners, who in 1997 became the owner of the stadium, the rights of the club and the ground to ensure that this does not happen again. Immediately, they began to renovate the entire stadium, posing new places, closer to the field. The work was completed in 2001 [26].
Hoddle, in his first season as coach of Chelsea, was for a moment, one step from being relegated again, but with the signing of striker Mark Stein, for one and half million pounds, managed to stay in the elite English. In the same season Chelsea reached the FA Cup final, where they faced the champions of the Premier League: Manchester United, a team that had lost by 1-0 to Chelsea in the league. After a tie at zero to zero during the first thirty minutes, the fatal errors in defense of Chelsea, Manchester secured victory by 4-0. However, Chelsea have managed to qualify for the European Cup Winners' Cup 1994-95 season. Reached the semifinals of the tournament, but lost to Real Zaragoza, who would champion.
Chelsea soon get a decent squad with several top players, of which the most important was the captain Dennis Wise. However, the chairman Ken Bates with director Matthew Harding were spending millions of pounds on new players, bringing two world-class players in 1995: the Dutchman Ruud Gullit and Mark Hughes for a Welshman and a half million pounds, together with the Romanian Dan Petrescu. Hoddle takes Chelsea to another eleventh place in 1995-96 and another FA Cup semi-final, but soon he leaves office in Chelsea to take the England squad.
[Edit] Renaissance: Gullit and Vialli
Signed shirt for Ruud Gullit, the Museum of Chelsea.Ruud Gullit was appointed player-coach for the 1996-97 season, and hired several high profile players for the team, including striker Gianluca Vialli, who was European Champion with Juventus , the French defender Frank Leboeuf, Gianfranco Zola and the Italians and Roberto Di Matteo (the latter came by four million nine hundred thousand pounds). Later joined the team, the Uruguayan Gustavo Poyet and Norwegian Tore Andre Flo. With these players Gullit had a football team that played a neat, attractive and entertaining, which earned them the reputation of "sexy football". Gullit in his first season, he managed to lead Chelsea to a sixth place (the best position since 1990), and an end to the taboo of twenty-six years without winning the FA Cup. After a 4-0 over Liverpool, Chelsea won the title at Wembley after a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough, with the fastest goal in the history of Cup final: 42 seconds, marked by Di Matteo. The victory was a happy ending to a season that seemed to be dominated by sadness after the death in October, the popular club director, Matthew Harding in a helicopter crash, returning after the match against Bolton Wanderers, by League Cup.
Gianfranco ZolaGullit was suddenly fired in February 1998, apparently after a contract dispute with the team in second place in the Premier League and the semi-finals of both competitions. [27] Another was named player-coach, this time Vialli. Vialli began his career by winning two titles in two months. The League Cup was won with a victory over Middlesbrough at Wembley by 2-0. Also conquers European Cup Winners Cup after a dramatic semi-final, against Vicenza, Italy. Chelsea started the game by losing 1-0, but managed to turn 3-1 and qualify for the final. The victory in the final against VfB Stuttgart, won by 1-0, in Stockholm, Sweden. The goal was scored by Zola, seventeen seconds after entering. Vialli also led the club to win the European Supercup against Real Madrid, who was the current European champion, by 1-0, with a goal from Poyet, at eighty-two minutes in the Stade Louis II in Monaco.
During the 1998-99 season in the Premier League, Chelsea had a chance to win the league title. Their title chances eventually disappeared after the home defeat to West Ham United, and after three consecutive defeats for Middlesbrough, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday to finish, finished third, just four points behind champions Manchester United. Chelsea, defending their European Cup Winners' Cup title was eliminated in the semifinals by Real Mallorca, Spain, while in two other competitions, is eliminated in the quarter-finals. His final position in the championship was high enough to qualifying for their first UEFA Champions League.
Forty-four years after they had first denied the contention of the Champions League, Chelsea made her debut in the competition, in August 1999 to reach the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Barcelona. Ties in the San Siro and Olympic Rome against Lazio and Milan, respectively, a victory over the Turkish Galatasaray, by 5-0, in the Ali Sami Yen was sufficient to reach the quarterfinals. In the first game against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won 3-1 with an own goal from Luis Figo, and in the return game at Camp Nou, was losing by 2-1, but inexplicably, Barca scored a goal in thirty minutes, and ended up losing by 5-1, 6-4 in total.
Chelsea had over the years big names like Zola, Di Matteo, Poyet, Netherlands goalkeeper Ed de Goeij and the trio of French World Cup winner 1998: Frank Leboeuf, Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps. Thus, Chelsea became the first English club to play one game with a whole cast abroad. In the 1999-2000 season and the irregularity came back, finishing the league in a disappointing fifth, but won the FA Cup after beating Aston Villa in the final. The Super Cup in England, is also captured in August after a 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
[Edit] The era Ranieri (2000-2004)
Claudio Ranieri.Vialli spent almost twenty-six million pounds on new players during the summer, including the hiring of the Netherlands Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the talentososo Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, but was dismissed in September 2000 after winning only one of five first games. He was replaced by another Italian, Claudio Ranieri, who, despite his initial problems with language, he led the team to finish sixth in his first season. Ranieri gradually rebuilt the team, reducing the cast, selling veteran players and replacing them with younger, like John Terry, William Gallas, Frank Lampard and Jesper Grønkjær.
Ranieri, in his second season, made some progress, especially in knockout competitions. Chelsea reached the semifinals of the League Cup and FA Cup final but was unable to avoid defeat in the final to Arsenal. However, ending the league again in the sixth. With rumors circulating that the club would be in big financial trouble, Ranieri was unable to recruit more players. As a result, expectations of Chelsea in the 2002-03 season were more limited. Chelsea, however, in an unexpected and perhaps most important of its history, the defeat by Liverpool 2-1 in the final match of the championship, finishing fourth and earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League, leaving the Reds out .
With the club facing an apparent financial crisis, [28] Bates unexpectedly sold Chelsea in June 2003, sixty million pounds. [29] The new club owner was Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who also assumed responsibility for eighty million pounds of debt by paying quickly. He also spent one hundred million pounds in contracts: Real Madrid bought two players from the 2002 World Cup, Frenchman Claude Makelele and Cameroonian Geremi Njitap; demoted from West Ham United, Joe Cole and Glen Johnson, the Cup also shill, and Wayne Bridge (Southampton) and a star of the Argentina squad, coming from champion Manchester United, Juan Sebastian Veron out of space, in addition to Romanian Adrian Mutu (coming from Parma) and Irishman Damien Duff (Blackburn Rovers). This, also thrown the world of Asia, was the most expensive contract, coming to Stamford Bridge at a cost of twenty-four million. [30] And it could have been better: the tycoon also made proposals by the Italian Alessandro Nesta, Christian Vieri (Internazionale of Milan and who also were in the Cup) and another star of Serie A, Emerson (AS Roma), respectively, by offering them fifty, forty and twenty-four million euros [31].
Chelsea finished second in the league (their best position in forty-nine years) and reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, after trouncing the Arsenal in the quarter-finals, but fell in the semifinals for the Monaco, after some strange Ranieri's tactical decisions. Ranieri was fired at season's end. Abramovich later engaged the Portuguese Jose Mourinho, who had led Porto to two national titles, one UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Abramovich also brought talent scout Piet de Visser Netherlands, which brought to PSV Eindhoven Romario and Ronaldo, and is considered one of the greatest talent scout history [32].
[Edit] Jose Mourinho and the championship (2004-2007)
Jose Mourinho, coach of the main story of Chelsea.Na first season under the team, Mourinho asked (and had) three compatriots, all extras from the Portuguese squad in the campaign's vice-champion of the just-ended Euro 2004: James, Benfica and two who had been European champions last season with Porto, Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho. PSV Eindhoven's Arjen Robben came from the Netherlands (also the last Euro) and the Serbo-Montenegrin Mateja Kezman. The French team from Rennes, the Czech goalkeeper Petr Čech, others have been outstanding in Euro, and also of French football, the most expensive building, coming by 24 million pounds, the Ivorian Didier Drogba, Olympique Marseille. [33 ] In total, the club spent about one hundred and sixty-six million pounds, balanced with the layoffs of other players, some of them also come in the previous season, the soaring amounts: the Argentine Veron and Hernan Crespo were on loan to Milan , respectively for Inter and Milan; Grønkjær, Mario Melchiot and Carlton Cole went to Birmingham, the first two for Birmingham City and Cole to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough Hasselbaink was [33].
The 2004-05 season was the most successful in the history of Chelsea. After a slow start, scoring eight goals in the first nine games and being five points behind Arsenal, Chelsea, thanks to vice-captain Frank Lampard and the return of players from injury, headed to the title. The club reached the top after a win over Everton in November 2004 and never lost the lead, losing only one game and winning twenty-nine (beating the record of the competition), winning ninety-five points. Chelsea also had the best defense, led by captain John Terry, the versatile William Gallas, midfielder Claude Makelele and goalkeeper Petr Čech, who suffered only fifteen goals. Chelsea secured the trophy after beating Bolton Wanderers by 2-0, winning the title after fifty years. [34] Even this season, Chelsea won the League Cup on the 3-2 by Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium. [35]
In the Champions League, Chelsea went smoothly in the group stage to face in the second round of the Barcelona final. The first match at the Nou Camp, Chelsea won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and, by 4-2. [36] In the quarter-finals, a 4-2 victory at home over Bayern Munich a 3-2 defeat by Germany was enough to secure a place semifinals, where they face Liverpool. After a 0-0 tie at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool won 1-0 at Anfield thanks to a controversial goal by Luis Garcia, the ball would not have entered. Chelsea, thus lost the opportunity to achieve the triple crown.
A year later, new signings their weight in gold: the Ghanaian Michael Essien, voted best player in the French championship final, coming down 38 million from the champions Lyon after the refusal of five proposals, [37] then the holder of the Selection English and highlight of Manchester City, Shaun Wright-Phillips for 30.6 million, [37] as well as, among others, the return of Crespo, vice-champion of the Champions League last season with Milan. With them, Chelsea scored his second league title, winning their first nine games, including a 4-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield and getting eighteen points ahead of runner-up: Manchester United. The title was awarded a 3-0 victory over United at Stamford Bridge itself, matching his own record of twenty-nine wins. Chelsea also became the fifth team to win the championship twice in a row since the Second World War and the only London team since 1930. However, were eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona and in the semifinals of the FA Cup for Liverpool.
For the 2006-07 season, Abramovich has brought several players from the World Cup in Germany, two of the world's best soccer stars and the maximum of their countries: the Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack German. Chelsea also made exchange with rival Arsenal, giving William Gallas to get Ashley Cole. [38] He hired after dispute with Manchester United including the courts, [38] the young Nigerian John Obi Mikel, Salomon Kalou beyond the Ivorian and Netherlands Khalid Boulahrouz. The team has not won the English title, taking second, but he was champion of the League Cup by defeating Arsenal 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium and the FA Cup over Manchester United, winning 1-0. Still managed to reach the semifinals of the Champions League, but were again eliminated by Liverpool on penalties this time.
[Edit] Post-Mourinho (2007-2009)
Avram Grant is the only coach to lead Chelsea to a Champions League final UEFA.Em of September 20, 2007, it was announced that Mourinho had left Chelsea by "mutual consent" after several months of friction between him and Abramovich. Shortly afterwards, the Israeli Avram Grant, who was appointed director of football at Chelsea's July 8, 2007, was announced as a replacement for Mourinho at the helm of the team and, with Steve Clarke as his assistant. This time, the hiring of Russian bells were less expensive and, after the fiasco of Shevchenko, who came from Milan for 30 million pounds. The most expensive one, for 13.5 million pounds, was Florent Malouda, [39] of Lyon and the French national team runners-up in 2006. He tried to Sevilla star Daniel Alves [39] but the Brazilians who arrived were Belletti and Alex, this one player already belonging to the club but that was on loan at PSV Eindhoven until he got visa to play in the UK. Less exciting still, they arrived at the Israeli Tal Ben Haim, Steve Sidwell English and Peruvian Claudio Pizarro, all without cost [39] and eventually becoming the only club for the season that followed.
Even with the disputed Grant, Chelsea came close to winning three different competitions, which become only the third English club to achieve such a feat (the others were Liverpool, who won the English League Cup and European Cup in 1984, and Manchester United, winning the English title, the FA Cup and Champions League in 1999). They reached their third League Cup final in four years, but lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in extra time after being winning the game in normal time. In the last round of Premier League, Chelsea had chances to win the title if Manchester United and Chelsea lose to win, but Chelsea drew level only, while Manchester United won their game. Chelsea had their last chance in the Champions League, where he also will lose the title, and back to Manchester.
Guus Hiddink won the FA Cup in 2009.A final against Manchester United after beating Liverpool in a thrilling semifinal, where they won 3-2 in overtime. The final match was held in Moscow on May 21, 2008, but Chelsea eventually lost the title in the maximum penalties by 6-5 after normal time and in overtime tie at 1-1. In shootouts, Petr Čech took the penalty opponent star Cristiano Ronaldo, giving chance of the captain and idol John Terry's penalty hit the title, but in your collection just slipping and losing the title fee and Nicolas Anelka, come on mid-season, also lost his, giving the title to United.
A few days after the defeat in the final of the Champions League and second place in the Premier League, Avram Grant was fired, giving rise to the Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, world champion and European vice-champion with Brazil and Portugal, respectively. Warm welcome, Big Phil has brought his squad in the last Euro Portuguese Deco, Jose Bosingwa and then Ricardo Quaresma, and indicates the disputed Mineiro. Shevchenko was returned on loan to AC Milan after two seasons weak. Lampard, besieged by Inter Milan, led by Jose Mourinho, was, [40] and one to arrive was the Serbian Branislav Ivanovic. But with eight months still ahead of the command of the blues, it was announced on February 9, 2009, that Scolari, who had a good start, was sacked after poor results, despite placing third in the Premier League [41] and leaders for support Terry and Lampard. [42] However, the dissatisfaction of the stars also Drogba (isolated by the coach), Čech and Ballack, poor physical preparation of the cast and various setbacks in the classics and loss of points at home (a goalless draw Two days earlier, with the weak Hull City in the later round 0-2 defeat against Liverpool was the last straw for his resignation), plus communication with the players hampered by its lack of mastery in English language were crucial for their output. [42] Instead, the Dutchman Guus Hiddink took over, coming to stay until the end of the season English when he returns to direct only the Russian squad. [43] On April 18, Chelsea qualify for final FA Cup after beating Arsenal by 2-1 at Wembley. [44] His opponent in the final was at Everton, which eliminated Manchester United on penalties in the other semifinal, [45] but lost - in turn - the Title by 2-1, with Lampard and Drogba goals scored authors of the victory. [46] [47] However, it was eliminated in the semifinals of the Champions League by Barcelona, suffering the equalizing goal and disposal acrécimos in the second half. [48 ]
[Edit] A new era: Ancelotti (2009 -) Soon after the departure of Guus Hiddink - who only returned to training the Russian team, the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, European two-time champion AC Milan was announced, signing a three year agreement. [49] In the first tournament under the command of Ancelotti, Chelsea won the World Football Challenge, held in the United States, with three wins from three games. [50] Shortly thereafter, on August 9, after a draw in normal time in 2-2, Chelsea won the Super Cup Manchester United on England, hitting him in the shootout by 4-1. [51]
Chelsea's squad on the field against Olympiacos in the season that the club was a finalist in the Champions League UEFA.Em September 3, Chelsea ended up being punished by FIFA after the French race in hiring Gaël Kakuta, then about sixteen years that would have been encouraged by the club to terminate his contract with Lens, France. As punishment, the club is prohibited from doing any hiring for a year (both national players, and international) in the next two windows of transfers, can hire back only in January 2011. The club still have to pay a fine of seven hundred and eighty thousand euros to the French team. [52] [53] [54] However, after appeal, ended up being free to hire the next "window" of free transfers and the fine, well Kakuta as [55].
Players celebrating the first in the history of Double clube.Na debut season Ancelotti, despite the great start, winning the Super Cup title on United, Chelsea ended up suffering with the elimination in the League Cup on penalties to Blackburn Rovers after tie in three goals. [56] However, elimination was more experienced in the Champions League for Internazionale after two defeats (2-1 and 1-0 away at home, respectively). Ironically, the Milan team is coached by Portuguese Jose Mourinho, responsible for transforming the club into a major Europe. [57] Three weeks after removal, the team will be classified according to the final of the FA Cup for the second year after three-nil victory against Aston Villa. [58] Against this same team at Villa two weeks ago, Chelsea won by the thirty-second round of the league by 7-1. [59]
Although you can not win the primary goal of the season, Chelsea won its fourth title after an English victory over Wigan Athletic 8-0 (with the biggest score of the season, alongside rival Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Wigan own by nine to one). In the campaign with twenty-seven wins (only two wins behind the record in the league, owned by Chelsea itself), the team broke the record for goals scored, one hundred and three. The previous record belonged to Manchester United, who had scored six times in ten seasons before. The Chelsea striker was also responsible for the championship, the Ivorian Didier Drogba, who scored twenty-nine times (three in the victory of the title), and the player with more assists: Frank Lampard, with seventeen. The team also had one hundred percent record against the Big Four (term used to refer to the top four teams in England: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United). [60] [61] [62] Six days later, Chelsea won their first Double in history, also winning the FA Cup after victory over Portsmouth at minimum score. [63] [64]
But even with the achievements of last season, the second season of Chelsea under the command of Ancelotti had the same start. The club lost before the start of the season, big names from the cast, Joe Cole, who had not renewed his contract and signed with the rival Liverpool, [65] [66] Michael Ballack, who also did not have his contract renewed and returned to Germany , returning to Bayer Leverkusen. [65] [67] In addition to the exemptions from Belletti [65] [68] and Deco [69] who returned to football and Brazilian Ricardo Carvalho, who moved to Real Madrid, skippered by Jose Mourinho [70]. The only contractions for the season were Yossi Benayoun, who was at Liverpool, [71] and Ramirez, coming from Benfica, [72] in addition to hiring young people, but they were transferred to other clubs. [73] having played in four pre-season friendly matches, Chelsea have won only one [74] and, in the race's first official tournament, lost the Super Cup title from England for Manchester United (3-1). [75] However, in his debut the League, showed strength again defeating West Bromwich Albion (coached by Roberto Di Matteo) by 6-0. [76] Then again won by six goals, this time against Wigan Athletic. [77]
The club kept the big top in the following matches, winning nine of the twelve disputed. However, eventually entering a sequence with no victories that lasted six games in the league and one in the Champions League. [78] [79] As such, four defeats and three draws. With over as coach Ancelotti at risk, the only club to win back in January 9, 2011, when Ipswich Town thrashed 7-0 by the FA Cup, to qualify for the next phase. [80] In the window transfers to meet the needs of the team because of various injuries, the board hired in the last two days the same old desires: the Brazilian David Luiz, coming from Portuguese Benfica by 25 million more Nemanja Matić [81], and Fernando Torres , from the rival Liverpool for 58 million euros, beating the record of transfers from the United Kingdom. [82] [83]
[Edit] Stadium Main article BridgeVer Stamford: Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge now.The throughout its history, Chelsea was just a stadium, Stamford Bridge, where the team has played since its inception. The stadium was officially inaugurated on April 28, 1877. During the first twenty-eight years of its existence, was used by the athletic club athetics London Club. In 1896, the brothers Gus and Joseph Mears, purchased the stadium, but only taking office in 1904. The Mears brothers' intention was that the stadium to host matches at the highest level of English football. [84]
The family offered the stadium to Fulham, but the offer was rejected. As a result, the owners decided to start his own club to play at their new stadium. As I had a club named Fulham, the founders decided to adopt the name of the surrounding neighborhood (Chelsea) for the club, having rejected names such as Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC. [84]
With an original drawing of an open bowl and sectors covered, Stamford Bridge had an initial capacity of about 100,000 people. [84] In early 1930, owners began to build a layer on the south side of the field, covering 1 / 5 of total stadium. This session was known as "Shed End", where were the staunchest supporters of Chelsea, especially in the 1960s through the 1980s. [84]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the club owners had a project to modernize the Stamford Bridge, with the intention to reduce capacity to 50,000 seats. [84] The work session began in the east in the early 1970s, but the club was in debt, no longer having to pay reform, which resulted in the sale of the stadium to pay off debts. After a long hard legal battle, was ensured Chelsea STAY with the stadium and the redevelopment of the stadium was resumed in mid-1990. The north, west and south of the stadium was completely rebuilt with different places and closest to the field. This process was completed in 2001.
