Mateo Kovačić
After becoming Club World Champions in 2021/22, Chelsea go into the new season as a team in transition with several incoming and outgoing players, and new ownership looking to bring stability to the club. With the disruption of a Winter World Cup starting in November, this looks set to be a season like no other - and a challenging one for all clubs to negotiate - but with Thomas Tuchel at the helm, and an experienced squad at his disposal, hopes will be high that Chelsea can compete on all fronts yet again as they look to bring more silverware back to Stamford Bridge.
Coming off the back of an historic second Champions League victory last season, Chelsea continued to add silverware to the trophy cabinet by beating Villarreal in a hard-fought and protracted UEFA Super Cup match in Belfast to start the season off in style. Addressing what was seen as one of the main weaknesses in the team last season, boyhood Chelsea fan Romelu Lukaku returns to the club to add firepower and pace up front, complementing an exciting mix of youth and experience running right throughout the squad. Expectations will be high for Chelsea to challenge on all fronts again this season, with particular focus on competing strongly for the Premier League trophy.
'Making history, not reliving it.' That has been the mantra by which those at Stamford Bridge have lived and died since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003. And with the transfer ban now a distant memory, the club are making up for lost time by bringing in the cream of world footballing talent, including the outstanding Timo Werner and Kai Havertz from the Bundesliga, Hakim Ziyech from the Eredivisie, as well as defensive reinforcements in Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell. Mixed with the exciting young players that broke into the first team 12 months ago, expectations will be high that Chelsea can challenge on all fronts in the 2020/21 season.
Chelsea finished third in the Premier League last season, albeit a staggering 25 points behind second-placed Liverpool, and started life under a new manager with club legend Frank Lampard taking the reins. With a transfer ban impacting the west Londoners' business, and the Covid-19 pandemic causing unprecedented disruption mid-season, Chelsea finished the domestic season narrowly losing the FA Cup final to Arsenal. Despite the disappointment, a 4th place finish secured on the final day of the Premier League campaign guarantees the Blues will be playing Champions League football in the 2020/21 season.
Once more Chelsea finished the season in triumph as they turned Baku blue. The euphoric Europa League victory over Arsenal ensured a 10th major trophy in 10 years. No English side has enjoyed more success in the last decade. It crowned a campaign that witnessed the Blues return to Premier League prominence as they delivered some stunning displays. Maurizio Sarri's side when all the way to Wembley, beating Liverpool and Tottenham before penalties cruelly denied them in the Carabao Cup Final against Manchester City. Cesar Azpilicueta proved the inspirational on-pitch leader of a team that combined the quality and experience of World Cup winners N'Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud with the exciting young talents of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. As ever, Eden Hazard was at his beguiling, brilliant best, reaching a century of goals for the Club.
A documentary about Croatian immigrants' soccer clubs, especially the Croatia Toronto soccer club, and their significance to the Croatian diaspora as well as Croatia itself.
