Uncorking memories, Ben Chilwell reveals the surreal locker room speeches, champagne toasts from shoes, and unexpected magic behind Chelsea's 2021 Champions League glory.
It is written in Chelsea's history. Their second Champions League match was on May 29, 2021, in Porto, where they beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 1-0 at the Dragao. The goal was scored by Kai Havertz, now at Arsenal, in the 42nd minute, following a pass from Mason Mount, now at Manchester United. City would still wait two years to open their European trophy haul: 1-0 against Inter.
One of the men from that night was Ben Chilwell. He then defended the 'blue' shirt. Today, he plays for Strasbourg. In an interview with L'Equipe, the English full-back reviewed intimate scenes from that final.
He is 29 years old and has not forgotten Thomas Tuchel's locker-room talk. "(Tuchel) gave us an entire speech about his trainers. It was quite surprising. He told us that he only used that model for finals and that he had changed the color compared to the previous year, when he lost the Champions League final with PSG (1-0 against Bayern on August 23, 2020)."
Those words, far from tightening, loosened the team. "It was fun and took a lot of pressure off us at that moment. After the title, we drank beers and champagne from his shoes!" The Champions League was celebrated like that, with beer and sparkling wine in the coach's shoes.
That improvised ritual with Tuchel's footwear became the ultimate symbol of a Chelsea that, against all odds, regained joy at the most critical moment. The image of the European champions using shoes as toasting cups captures the mystique of a locker room that transformed the tension of a final into a wild party.
Chilwell arrived at Chelsea in 2020 from Leicester. In 2025, he was loaned to Crystal Palace before heading to Strasbourg. This Sunday, with him in the team, the French side, seventh in Ligue 1, snapped Lyon's 13-game winning streak, third, by winning 3-1, with Endrick playing the full 90 minutes.
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