Roman Abramovich’s money converted Chelsea from chumps to champs. The riches of the Russian sugar daddy made the Blues synonymous with success.
Several coaches scooped silverware while at Stamford Bridge.
The place proved a perfect platform for one showman to show his hand. During his tenure there, Jose Mourinho showed the world his worth as Abramovich’s wealth allowed him to cherry pick the superstars of his choice.
The petulant Portuguese told his boss to zip it and bankroll the purchase of the only striker he had his eyes on. Ivorian marksman Didier Drogba was that man, who went on to experience moments of jubilation with his boss.
Drogba not only left a legacy of a glut of goals in two spells but he got his name into the annals of the club by being the spearhead to the first of their only two Champions League gongs.
Five minutes after Thomas Muller had fired Bayern Munich ahead, Drogba equalised in the 88th minute to force the final into extra time. The goal king of the Bridge went on to score the winning penalty which secured Chelsea their maiden European glory under Italian Roberto Di Matteo.
Many more illustrious names contributed to the good times for the London club:Ghanaian enforcer Michael Essien. German grinder Michael Ballack. Brazilian orchestra operator Oscar. Italian Gianfranco Zola...
They were parts of a synchronised symphony, alongside club legends John Terry and Frank Lampard. Their elegant collective efforts — powered by the deep pockets of the oligarch owner and once guided by Carlo Ancelotti — echoed around England.
Coming to the present, Thomas Tuchel’s squad equalled the feat of their predecessors when they conquered Europe last season.
But suddenly Abramovich is in a quagmire. His assets, alongside those of six other Russian oligarchs associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, are now not accessible. Roman’s empire may be frozen, but he can at least claim to know the scent of Champions League success.
Somewhere in Paris sits a man who cuts a forlorn figure. Poor Nasser Al-Khelaifi is the personification of frustration. The story goes that the Paris Saint Germain president threw his toys like a spoilt brat whose lollipop was snatched from his infirm grip when he attempted to barge into the referee’s dressing room in Madrid midweek to protest against what he deemed unfair officiating.
Al-Khelaifi’s antics were fuelled by the aftermath of a Champions League Last 16 defeat to Real Madrid. A kamikaze Karim Benzema raised the roof in a scintillating showing under the lights of the futuristic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
In a three-goal, 17-minute blitzkrieg — which included two goals in 11 seconds — Benzema blew Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and the shadow of Lionel Messi out of the competition.
It marked a steady slippery slope for PSG. They were so near and yet so far from the gates of glory when they lost to Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 final in Portugal. It has been a slope of regression since then.
For Al-Khelaifi, who happens to be the chair of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and beIN Media Group — and got a nod as the most powerful person in football by France Football — the defeat shattered his dream into a thousand tiny pieces yet again.
Qatar Sports Investments have been sole owners of the outfit for the last decade. In those 10 years, billions of oil dollars have been shelled out to gather a galaxy of stars for the sole purpose of satisfying a craving for the coveted Champions League.
Alas, the pieces of the puzzle refuse to fall into place as the most prized property of European club football, the Big Ears piece of silverware, continues to elude PSG’s custodianship.
It was his goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s mistake that allowed a gap for one of Benzema’s goals. Instead of clearing the ball, the Italian dilly-dallied with the Frenchman with a renowned nose for goal sniffing. He snatched the ball away and poked it home after an interchange with Vinicius Junior.
There was nothing the likes of Angel Di Maria, Neymar and Mbappe could do to stem the tide of the 13-time champions of European club football.
And Mbappe is bound to bid farewell to Paris and make Madrid his new home after Al-Khelaifi refused the advances of Fiorentino Perez. It all seems likely that Mbappe will depart without PSG getting a dollar for him. Not that money is the object for a club that is the pet project of an oil rich country.
Meanwhile, Thiago Silva swapped Paris for London. He found instant Champs League joy with Chelsea.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.