The legendary Chelsea goalkeeper has recently given his thoughts on the current state of the club in a recent interview with a British media outlet
Back in 2004, Chelsea signed unknown goalkeeper Petr Cech from Rennes. Fast forward 11 years, and the Czech goalkeeper had won four Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League, a Europa League, and seven domestic cups.
He was part of the Chelsea team that conceded just 15 Premier League goals in a season back in 2004/05, a record that still stands today, and he wasn't even playing for all of those goals. He was also the hero, alongside Didier Drogba, for the 2012 Champions League final triumph - saving a penalty from Arjen Robben in extra time, as well as saving two penalties in the shootout.
That was when the Blues were a serious club, who consistently won the biggest prizes. That certainly isn't the case anymore, and Cech himself agrees. In a recent interview with The Athletic, the 43-year old spoke about the new Chelsea, and if he recognised the club.
"It's different [to when I was there]. Maybe if I was there on a daily basis, I would. I would see it differently. From what you see from the outside, I don't think you can compare because of the vision and the way that the club operates, how they want to do things. It's completely different from how it was.
Chelsea will always be in my heart, and I want them to do well, but it is a different club." Very damning comments, particularly from such an icon of the club. Meanwhile, he continued.
"You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don't go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League.. these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent. You need to have a strong core of the team."
Well, there you go. Not many players know more than Cech about what it takes to win titles with Chelsea. It's always such a shame when club legends talk about how the club is different. There is the famous quote from Drogba saying "I no longer recognise my club", which made a lot of fans very sad, and still does today.
Nevertheless, there is still a chance for the club to win a trophy this year, with the FA Cup. It would be the club's first domestic trophy since 2018, where they won the same competition with a 1-0 win over Manchester United. Let's hope that's a good omen when facing another Manchester club.
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