This is a piece that I should’ve done weeks ago but here it is, finally, the tribute to the new champions of England, Chelsea Football Club.
It is a very satisfying feeling indeed to be finally crowned Premiership champions. It’s been a long time coming, oh believe me, a long time coming. I’ve waited 9 years (a joke compared to those original supporters who waited 50) for this to happen. I knew it would come one day since I said to myself, “Hmm, I think my uncle mentioned something about this Ruud Gullit being a great player or something. I guess I’ll take this club as the English club I’ll support. What’s the name again? Chelsea?”
From that moment on, I never looked back. Along the years I was at the receiving end of friendly insults even when amazing players like Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Marcel Desailly donned the blue colors of London and graced the field majestically because unless Chelsea win something significant, they always be associated with the words, ‘so close yet so far’. And as far as Manchester United, Arsenal and co-evidently Liverpool are concerned, the Premiership and the Champions League are the only two to be qualified as significant. Well, now we have one in the bag. And the duel at Old Trafford recently was truly an icing on the cake. Not only did we comprehensively beat them 3-1 and dominated the game, we also broke their previous record of most points and clean sheets gained in a single Premiership season. To add insult to injury, there was no Terry, no Duff, no Robben, no Drogba, no Bridge and no Ferreira while theirs’ was at full strength. They can argue that the 5-3 drubbing at Stamford Bridge a few years back was purely bad luck and a certain Massimo Taibi was the epitome of all faults on that fateful evening but last Wednesday, the sky was truly grey at Manchester. And glorious Chelsea stood out like sunshine.
It’s a shame the same cannot be said for the Champions League. Last season’s achievement was not bettered. It was disappointing but not really hurtful once you take everything into context. As a matter of fact, it does serve as a kind of a motivation come August. A target yet to be achieved. Should’ve we won the quadruple, it could have been less interesting next season. Certainly winning things for the first time is really exciting rather than defending them. There’s the revenge at Newcastle in the FA Cup to look forward to and Liverpool is just a plain nuisance. I used to like Liverpool because my brother and uncle support them. Well, you count those days long gone.
But, truly, the person I’d like to credit most is the current manager, a Portuguese that goes by the name of Jose Mourinho. Gullit, Vialli, Ranieri were certainly exciting times but it is the Mourinho era that things have become meaningful.
As a final word, I would once again toast a tribute and salute to Chelsea FC, its staff and players for a wonderful 2004/2005 season. May the glory continue into 2006 and beyond. And with Mr. Abramovich’s millions, I wish the excitement will start in summer. Adriano, anyone?
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